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Jake Bostwick and Erick Lozano clash in the co-main event of BKFC 45 on June 23rd.

The fistic fireworks broadcast on Fite TV as well as the Bare Knuckle TV app. The pugilistic proceedings emanate from Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida.

Bostwick spoke to Dylan Bowker of Bare Knuckle News before the bout. Excerpts from the chat are below.

Jake Bostwick

What were the initial thoughts when this Lozano bout offer came your way?

“Honestly, yeah I was like, you know, he’s got power obviously. He’s still game, he’s still a very tough opponent. Even though the weight class is still ten pounds up, I still feel with my ability and my skillset, I’ll be able to take Lozano out. So I was quite pumped about it. I thought it was an exciting one. I’m ready for the test. Yeah, ready to clash with him, for sure.”

BKFC

You and Lozano last fought at BKFC 38 and had exemplary showings versus your respective opponents. What were your main takeaways from your own fight vs Isaac Doolittle and from Lozano’s KO versus Francesco Ricchi?

“I wasn’t too sure on the scorecards how that was going. I was ready to go for the sixth round. Thought we were good to go and then when he said nah, the fight is over I was like oh maybe I pinched it. I still feel I did more in that fight with Doolittle, you know? Even with the knockdown I still feel I was the aggressor, I landed more shots, or whatever. I don’t know. It was tricky one to really like say. So yeah, after I got given the draw, I just had to take it on the chin.”

“Accept it for what it was and just yeah, just saw it as another five rounds of knowledge I’ve picked up, trying new things out. You can watch my fights back to back and see how much I’ve evolved; changing and adapting. So it’s good even watching back on that fight, studying myself and like things I didn’t like what I was doing. So that I’m happy with.”

BKFC 45

Bostwick continued, “At the end of the day, man, like I’m never in a boring fight, brother. I’ve had forty professional fights. Actual contracted fights, I believe about forty. MMA fights and then boxing, kickboxing, thai boxing. I’ve never heard the word boo, bro. Like I’ve never heard the word boo. I’m never ever boring. I’m always going out on my shield. Always trying to be explosive, trying to look good. Everyone’s always excited when I’m fighting.”

“So again, I’m super pumped to be able to co-main event again and be able to hopefully display some good skills and put on an absolute show yet again (laughs)… Honestly yeah, I was shocked. I was like damn, I couldn’t believe it. Not that I couldn’t believe it but like especially for something to happen like that so fast on in the fight. (Francesco) Ricchi was like just sort of finding himself in there and got clipped. So it’s tough to see the fight end that way because Ricchi is actually a really good dude.”

“Although I’ve even fought him and lost to Ricchi on a decision, I had a really good fight against Ricchi. So the fact that that happened it’s like I feel like me getting a win over Erick eliminates, I feel, that loss for me when I did fight him in a weird way. So yeah, I was shocked, bro.”

“One minute in, it sucks but this is the fight game and this is bare knuckle. Bare knuckle’s dangerous, mate, and it’s not to be played with. It takes nothing to get damaged, to cut you, knock you out whatever. So this game is dangerous for anybody that does step into it anyway. Crazy but fun.”

Photo via @BrutalBostwick on Instagram

Jake Bostwick vs Erick Lozano

Do you have a predominant visualization for how this Lozano fight ends?

“I’m looking for that stoppage, mate. I’m definitely looking for that stoppage but obviously so is he. So I put my mind where I need to put it which is like; for me, when it comes to the visualization and like the flow state yeah, I do. I think about the fight and so forth. Think about what I want to deliver, what I might catch him with. But sometimes it doesn’t always work out that way. So when it doesn’t work out that way, I don’t know. I don’t feel, I don’t know. I like to turn up because I’ll think about the fight on the fight day.”

“I’m thinking about the fight now but I’m not stressing about it. Not thinking about it like whatever. I’m really like whatever. But when it comes to the weigh-ins, actually making weight, and seeing my opponent, and that night and so forth, then I start getting excited about it. I’m excited to perform because I want to go in and do my performance. I know how and what I want to do to stop him. So it’s just like when that happens I don’t know but I just like legit just deal with it there and then.”

Jake Bostwick continued, “I have no control over what’s really gonna happen other than me showing up to do my thing. That’s it. I don’t care about a crowd, don’t care about the cameras, the spotlight, whatever. I’ll have fun with all that but as soon as it’s like knuckle up, I’ve got to just do what I’ve got to do and that is it.”

The post Jake Bostwick on Erick Lozano Bout at BKFC 45 appeared first on Bare Knuckle News.

Erick Lozano and Jake Bostwick clash in the co-main event of BKFC 45 on June 23rd.

‘El Travieso’ enters this bout on the heels of stopping a former BKFC titleholder towards the end of April and he looks to continue that momentum through 2023. He did so after a two-and-a-half-year dormancy in the sport and Lozano readies for his third bare-knuckle bout two months after the sophomore fight.

The fistic fireworks broadcast on Fite TV as well as the Bare Knuckle TV app. The pugilistic proceedings emanate from Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida.

Lozano spoke to Dylan Bowker of Bare Knuckle News before the bout. Excerpts from the chat are below.

Erick Lozano

In your BKFC journey so far, you debuted against the now number two ranked pound-for-pound/ dual division champion Lorenzo Hunt then KOed former BKFC middleweight champion Francesco Ricchi in less than a minute. Can you speak to your Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship journey so far?

“Well for me it was; my first fight, I was a little out of my element. Going into just pretty much boxing when I’m used to doing MMA. But I got my feet wet with that Lorenzo Hunt fight. We went in there and banged. I took that fight on short notice and with the experience that I got in that fight, I think I’m ready and set to go. I’ve already fought some of the best. I fought the champ and I fought a former champ.”

“I want to say with the experience I’ve got, I’m looking forward to Friday. Now my training’s changed because of BKFC. I don’t have to worry about getting taken down or anything like that. So it’s more boxing, I can let my hands fly. I’m way more prepared than I was the first time around.”

BKFC

With the caliber of competition you continue to face, do you think you’re on a good track to achieving your goal of one day becoming a BKFC champion?

“Yup, I want to fight the best. I want objectively to get a rematch with Lorenzo Hunt or whoever’s the champ. I think there’s an interim championship fight coming out at 185. I’m not sure why Lorenzo’s the champ and he’s not busy right now. I don’t see him lined up to fight anybody. So I’m not sure why he’s not defending that belt. But either way, that’s my goal is to become the light heavyweight champion for BKFC eventually. I’ll go through whoever I have to go through to get there.”

BKFC 45

What inspires you in this surging sport of bare-knuckle boxing and what are your thoughts on Bostwick’s stylistic attributes?

Well, objectively I want to fight the best because I want to be up there in the names of pound for pound in BKFC. He’s (Lorenzo Hunt) up there at the top. So I’m pretty sure everybody else wants to try to get to the top. They’re not giving me any easy matches and I don’t ever want any easy matches. I tend to get up for these big fights and I rise to the occasion when I have to. I’m looking forward to this opportunity against Jake Bostwick. I know it’s gonna be a fight. He comes to fight every time and I can’t wait.”

“This is one of the better-prepared camps I’ve had and I’m looking forward to it… I know Bostwick’s gonna come and be game. He comes game every time he fights and I’m looking forward to it. I think it’s gonna be fight of the night and I can’t wait… His style is, he’s a brawler. He’s gonna come and he’s gonna come straight forward. For me, I’m a brawler. I can be a brawler when I need to be a brawler.”

“I became a little bit more of a counterpuncher (in MMA) and now the transition to BKFC for me, you got to go as soon as they tell you you’re ready to fight.”

Erick Lozano vs Jake Bostwick

Do you have a predominant visualization for how you see the story of this Bostwick bout unfurling?

“Well, I think me and Bostwick are gonna come in both trying to be the aggressors. I think it’s going to be a brawl. Like I said, I’m predicting it to be fight of the night. With us throwing heavy hands like we do I mean, this potentially can be a knockout of the night too for either one of us. I don’t shy away from those brawling moments. I look forward to it, I like it. Think it’s gonna be a banger.”

“If you had to ask me if I have a game plan, my game plan is to move around a lot and try to keep him guessing. I don’t know, see where it goes from there.”

The post Erick Lozano on Jake Bostwick Bout at BKFC 45 appeared first on Bare Knuckle News.

Luis Palomino and James Lilley clash for the former’s BKFC lightweight title at BKFC 45 on June 23rd.

The fistic fireworks broadcast on Fite TV as well as the Bare Knuckle TV app. The pugilistic proceedings emanate from Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida.

Palomino spoke to Dylan Bowker of Bare Knuckle News to discuss the machinations of the matchup, maintaining a championship reign of over a thousand days versus trying to derail that momentum, and so much more. Excerpts from the chat are below.

Luis Palomino

What were your initial thoughts when this bout offer versus Lilley came your way?

“Well, actually it was a surprise. I was getting ready for Austin Trout, you know. I’ve been asking for big names for quite a while now and the big names have been literally just ducking me right now. At this point that’s the word to use is duck. They use an excuse ah, they’re debuting. You know Chad Mendes, Eddie Alvarez, they can’t fight the welterweight champion right away and they use that excuse to hide behind and they don’t want to face me. But Austin Trout is a two-time WBA world champion.”

“He got to beat (Miguel) Cotto, fought Canelo, and then fought some big names, you know, known worldwide. He did his debut against Diego Sanchez, he won, and I’d give him a chance to fight for the title right away, everything was set. I was training for him for like two months straight… I even agreed to fight him in his own hometown because no other big name would accept to fight me. So I even made it easy for him and I signed the contract to fight him in Las Cruces, New Mexico.”

Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship

Luis Palomino continued, “Next thing you know, later on something happened with the venue. It changed the venue to Miami, Florida and he started getting funny asking for more money. So that left him out of the loop and it surprised me they brought me Lilley. Now I think Lilley deserves to have a shot, don’t get me wrong. He’s 7-0, he’s 4-0 in the organization, and he’s a bare-knuckle champion in England. So I think that he’s more than deserving of a shot.”

“But I’m in this position where I’m trying to get like the bigger names. Because to be very honest, who knows Lilley? Nobody knows Lilley. I’m not shutting down the job that he’s done but who has he faced? He hasn’t faced anybody that is nowhere near the people that I’ve faced. His name doesn’t weigh nowhere near the names that I want to fight.”

“So to answer the question it was surprising for the simple fact that I was booked to fight somebody else. I had to change my entire camp from a southpaw. But he deserves a title shot. 7-0 in this industry is very hard to accomplish.”

BKFC

How did you feel recently seeing that BKFC graphic that your lightweight world title reign has gone over a thousand days and what are your thoughts on the Roman Reigns comparisons?

“Yeah, that was cool. I actually never had thought about it. It was like a thousand and a hundred-something days I think it was. Yeah, three years and a half holding the title like, man. Yeah, of course, you know but you don’t think about it. So then when it pops up you’re like oh *****, I’ve been holding the title for three and a half years (laughs). It’s like yeah, more confidence you know… It’s great, man. Cool to see that. I hadn’t even thought about it.”

“I’m so in here and when I see that I’m like oh **** that’s true, man. Three and a half years (laughs). That’s great… (laughs) I like that. I was seeing, I was wondering who the hell was Roman Reigns. I was reading some of those comments. I’m like who the hell is Roman Reigns? (laughs).”

BKFC 45

When we spoke before your Tom Shoaff fight, you said you were looking to make a highlight out of it. Is there a particular outcome you see for this fight or a certain statement you want to make with this one?

“Oh, man, you know, we took (Tom) Shoaff down three times in that. That dude is tough. He wouldn’t just get up but he would get up with a smile on his face (laughs). That’s like you know you’re meant for bare-knuckle boxing when you’re like getting knocked on your ass and you’re getting up with a smile on your face, man. It’s like what the ****? Yeah, man, Lilley, we have to turn off the lights on ‘Lights Out’ Lilley. There’s only one ‘Lights Out’ and that’s Chris ‘Lights Out’ Lytle, you know what I mean?”

“So yeah he’s going to be taking that name because we’re going to turn out the lights on Lilley, a thousand percent. We have to, we have to. We have to make it memorable. Have to make it so everybody remembers hey, I’m the pound for pound (number one). I’m dangerous in any format, you know what I mean?”

Luis Palomino vs James Lilley

Luis Palomino continued, “I choose to box in fights. I choose to go more rounds in fights and to give the fans the future of bare-knuckle boxing because we have a lot of fans out there where it’s like yeah, the brute-loving fans. Like the killer instinct, Lorenzo Hunt fight fans, they want to see blood and knockouts which is great and I want in for that. But then you have the fans that appreciate boxing, the skill, and bare-knuckle boxing, man, I’m telling you. I still do believe it’ll be even bigger than UFC.”

“For the simple reason that it’s simpler and easier to understand for the masses. There’s no grappling here it’s like clinch, punch, cut, cut, cut, go to sleep. But when you put the science behind it, they say like boxing is a thinking man’s sport. So when you put the science behind the bare-knuckle boxing and you put some brains in there and not just go for your primal instincts but you can mix both, it turns into a beautiful thing to watch, man.”

“You have to open things better, you have to take better risks to be able to keep it exciting. I mean you don’t have to try to keep it exciting. It’s always going to be exciting. There’s two-minute rounds and there’s no gloves. But to keep it like that next level where you’re actually thinking in there, you’re not just brawling. I think that I’m going to show them what the future of bare-knuckle is.”

The post Luis Palomino on James Lilley Title Defense at BKFC 45 appeared first on Bare Knuckle News.

Dallas Davison and Lloyd Mix clash in the co-main event of BKFC 44 on June 9th.

The fistic fireworks are set to broadcast on FITE TV and the Bare Knuckle TV app. The pugilistic proceedings take over Great Falls, Montana.

Davison spoke to Dylan Bowker of Bare Knuckle News before this bout. Excerpts from the chat are below.

Dallas Davison

What was specifically different for you in the preparations for this big bout?

“In this particular camp, buddy, Joe Riggs really stepped up on me and really helped me out a lot. His personal training and him and I just doing private sessions really made a world of difference as far as pushing my conditioning to the next level.”

You’re out of Great Falls and much is made of this cross-town rivalry between Louie Lopez as well as Kai Stewart heading into their title fight. Have you noticed a lot of partisan support among the people in town for either Lopez or Stewart heading into that one?

“Yeah, there’s definitely enough tension there to start a fire I’d say. It’s like, man, those guys they hate each other with a big passion. I just hope everybody comes out ok and you know lives to fight another day. But I think they’re going to come out with some severe damage after that one.”

Dallas Davison continued, “Louie Lopez, I train with him. So I try not be, what’s the word I’m going for? Try not to be biased. But he’s in the best shape I’ve ever seen him. He’s trained harder than I’ve ever seen him. I mean the guy is just flat-out strong right now, so.”

BKFC 44

What are your thoughts on Lloyd Mix’s stylistic attributes and resume heading into this one?

“You can tell a pretty decent striker when you see one though. I mean the thing with this guy is he’s really good at throwing heavy shots at weird angles that you wouldn’t expect it from. He’s not like an orthodox boxer. I mean I’m pretty sure he might be a southpaw now that I think about it. But still, he’s not like a calm and strategic boxer. He uses finesse and a little bit of talent to throw some weird throws. I plan on just taking him into deep waters.”

Dallas Davison continued, “I’m out here to fight. I want to make it a long fight so we can show something for the fans. Like I said, I can’t do this for very long, man. So I’m gonna try and make the best show I can while I can.”

BKFC

Is the game plan for this fight largely predicated on using your bread-and-butter jab to maintain the range and counter-strike Mix?

“Yes, more so that’s a lot of what I’m going to be looking at doing. Then also just getting him to move without me having to move, you know. Me utilizing my space, small things that maybe the average guy won’t notice but my opponent definitely will. Just getting people to move without you having to get out of order or you have to move. I think it’s going to be a beautiful show of boxing this weekend.”

Dallas Davison vs Lloyd Mix

All of your BKFC fights have ended in the second stanza but you talk about taking this one into deep waters. Does the approach this time differ as compared to previous BKFC bouts?

“No, it’ll probably be the same. I mean I always tend to fight off my back foot. I’m one that like I’m an aggressive pressure fighter but I’m also in and out all the time. With this guy; with all the other ones actually I wanted them to go long too. But once I’m in there I usually just try to make it apparent who’s the bigger man. But I’m gonna come out hot and then if he survives that then I’m going to be out there boxing. Like I said, I usually fight on my bicycle.”

Dallas Davison continued, “I’m just running around him and working that jab. So I feel like I’m gonna outclass this guy in every way possible. He’s gonna get lucky, he’s gonna hurt me a couple of times. But there’s no storm I can’t weather, man. I’ve taken some serious shots over the years and I’ve never been sat down. I mean Gorjan (Slaveski), I was not laying down. That wasn’t a knockdown (laughs).”

The post Dallas Davison on Lloyd Mix Fight at BKFC 44 appeared first on Bare Knuckle News.

Dallas Davison and Lloyd Mix clash in the co-main event of BKFC 44 on June 9th.

The fistic fireworks are set to broadcast on FITE TV and the Bare Knuckle TV app. The pugilistic proceedings take over Great Falls, Montana.

Mix spoke to Dylan Bowker of Bare Knuckle News before this bout. Excerpts from the chat are below.

Lloyd Mix

You were involved in a May 2022 car accident and have since rebounded from that. How does it feel to be returning to BKFC after over a year and a half outside the ring?

“Yeah, that car accident was like very unfortunate. It was literally they were getting ready a contract for me to fight somebody else in the BKFC. They had even gave me his name already and that car accident (happened). The first thing I said like when I got out of my car, blood coming out of the top of my head, was like goddamn I’m gonna miss my fight. You know what I mean, I was like this doesn’t even matter. But I’m glad that I took the time that I needed to actually heal my wound.”

“Anything that got rattled up there is not rattled anymore. I’m ready to go. I appreciate the BKFC coming to Montana so much, man. It does a lot for the economy of Montana and also does a lot for the sport in Montana in general. Because when I started, there wasn’t a lot of us around. Now with the BKFC coming to town and stuff, now there’s kids everywhere coming in and like I’m starting to see a lot more.”

BKFC 44

You’re looking for a longer fight than that 14-second promotional debut and Davison told me he wants to take you into deep waters. How do you see the story of this fight unfurling?

“Oh, he said that? Oh, man, that’s great. That’s awesome. Hopefully, that doesn’t mean he’s going to run away (laughs). But yeah, man, I want to put on a great show. If we can get fight of the night and we can go the distance. Get knockout of the night because I knocked him out because he thinks he can get me in the later rounds, I mean that’d be wonderful. But one thing’s for sure, like I said on another podcast, is that like when I get knocked down in all my fights before I got back up.”

“The ref stopped the fight most of my fights. This time I get eight seconds. I’m hoping whoever is the counter will like give me, I’ll get up at 8, let me get back in there. You know what I mean? Because I felt like after most of my losses like, man, I was ready to go. I’m still ready to go. But when you’re in MMA and you get up drunk, they stop it. So this time I just got to know like don’t jump up too fast. Get on your knee but listen to the count and get up by 8 and don’t let them wave it off.”

BKFC

Lloyd Mix continued, “So I mean as long as I keep getting up, I think I get the win for sure. But I’m glad that he said he wants to drag it into deep waters. Because he don’t do that much press. He’s been missing a lot of stuff. I’m a big fan, I love to hear it. He doesn’t get up on Facebook which is a typical Montana kid because we’re not into social media.”

“We’ve got way too much stuff to do outside which I respect. I know he’s going to be here to bring it and my game plan is just to go out there and do what I do best. Man, it just excites me more that he says he wants to take it in the long distance because I’m a long-distance runner.”

Photo via kidtech34 on Instagram

Lloyd Mix vs Dallas Davison

Your BKFC debut was at 175 pounds and you’re now fighting at 165. What does the camp look like dropping to welterweight and what does the future hold for you in terms of weight category?

“Well you know, my man, I’ve always been really good at like getting the weight down, putting weight on, and my body fluctuates quite a bit. But they had gave me a call, I think it was about a month ago. They gave me a call a month ago and asked me if I could make 145 to fight Goodjohn. What is it, Tyler Goodjohn?… I said yeah, I jumped on the scale, I was about 168-170. I was like yeah I could definitely make that. Actually this weight at 165, I was actually asking for a lower weight.”

“My base weight, that’s where my bread and butter has always been. That’s where the fight that I want is at is at 155. If you haven’t heard me like talk too much about Michael Chandler, I talk about him. He’s the one who taught me how to lose and that was at 155. So I’m always going to stick around 155. But I do want to play at 145. Have played there once. I do want to play at 165.”

“You know, weight is just what you get when you get on the scale. I’m coming in there ready to fight, I just need proper timing…. I like to play around. I like the fights, I like to fight too. So if 165, if they got some good guys to be taken out there, I’ll take them out. At 155, you’ve got some guys to take out there. Bring out the monsters because that’s my weight. At 145, let’s play around there too and let’s see how this thing rolls out when it comes to weight.”

The post Lloyd Mix on Dallas Davison Bout at BKFC 44 appeared first on Bare Knuckle News.

Kai Stewart tests skills with Louie Lopez at BKFC 44: Stewart vs. Lopez on June 9th. This headliner is to cement the inaugural BKFC featherweight champion.

The fistic fireworks are set to broadcast on FITE TV and the Bare Knuckle TV app. The pugilistic proceedings take over Great Falls, Montana.

Stewart spoke to Dylan Bowker of Bare Knuckle News before this historic bout. Excerpts from the chat are below.

Kai Stewart

Does it feel like there’s a synergy to this moment with the partisan support and the fact that it’s a historic championship clash?

“Yeah, absolutely. Everything’s aligning perfectly for me because this is my hometown. Been my hometown; it’s a dream come true to be able to fight for my first world title bare-knuckle. First 145-pound title, the opportunity to become the youngest champion, all in front of my home crowd that I’ve had since I wrestled on these mats in town. So everything’s full circle, everything happens for a reason, and I just truly think the stars are aligning for it to be my night.”

BKFC

When did all this bad blood first kick off with Lopez?

“Well, almost instantly which is what lead to him calling me out in MMA back in 2019. I think it was August of 2019 and right before an MMA fight, there was a rainstorm. He was first fight of the night, I was second fight of the night, and he just left. He left the arena. This wasn’t against me but this is where our beef started. Some of my family missed my fight because they were a little bit late to the show.”

“But instead of being second fight of the night, I was first fight of the night because he ran out. Blamed it on the rain and I started some banter there. I definitely started it but then he would call me out. Boom, that’s kind of how she all started. Then it snowballed into this huge rivalry because I’m big rivals with his coach (Joe Riggs) as well. So it’s just a big deal up here in Great Falls. Everybody knows about this rivalry.”

BKFC 44

As much as there’s the beef here, you’re coming in at number one while Lopez is the number two ranked BKFC featherweight. Do you see this as a defined clash between the two irrefutable best in the weight category right now?

“I am definitely not one to take away from anybody’s accolades. No matter the hate, no matter what’s going on. I do think that Louie Lopez had a lot of; I don’t believe in luck, I do believe in happenstance. I truly believe that the Howard Davis fight. Honestly think Louie was flown down there as a B-lister. I think Howard Davis is still the number two guy in the division. Truly believe myself as the number one.”

“But I think; yeah, I think that Louie’s earned it. But he also got his jaw broken by Rusty Crowder. So there’s just certain things that make you think eh, but it’s like he did earn it. He did beat Howard Davis, so here we are.”

Kai Stewart vs Louie Lopez

There’s definitely an ever-growing nature to the 145-pound division. Recently Jimmie Rivera mentioned that someone from BKFC told him his next fight would be for the belt. Does the depth in this division excite you should you get your desired outcome this weekend?

“Interesting. He (Rivera) probably plans to fight sometime in 2024 again next. Because then I could totally see that making sense because he is a UFC name. He did look pretty good against Howard Davis, especially the height difference. So that’s a fight that excites me. Looking ahead because I truly believe I’m going to win this title. I put in the work, I put in the efforts.”

“I would absolutely love to share a ring with Dat Nguyen or Jimmie Rivera. Just because they’re bigger names and bigger names means bigger cheques. I’ve earned it and I think I come out on the winning end of those fights too. That’s; yeah, the division is definitely, definitely stacked and it’s growing. It’s exciting being the frontrunner and seeing all the talent, so.”

Who do you ultimately think your first title defense will be against if you in fact become champion here at BKFC 44?

“Yeah, in my personal opinion, I truly believe they’re going to give the next title shot in the division to Dat Nguyen. He’s getting old, he’s getting to the point where he’s not going to want to fight anymore. So I think it’s going to be him next. That way it doesn’t delay things, so. Because between bare-knuckle fights usually, typically you need some time to rest and recover. So I think that Dat Nguyen will be next and then we’ll see.”

The post Kai Stewart on Louie Lopez Title Bout at BKFC 44 appeared first on Bare Knuckle News.

Johnny Bedford clashed with Nick Mamalis at BKFC 1 on June 2nd, 2018. ‘Brutal’ dispatched ‘Garfield’ in the second stanza and Bedford now looks back on that stoppage victory as part of the five-year anniversary of this inaugural Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship card.

The former two-time BKFC bantamweight champion spoke to Dylan Bowker of Bare Knuckle News at this significant checkpoint from this landmark event. Excerpts from the chat are below.

Johnny Bedford

What were your thoughts on getting a bare-knuckle boxing bout offer for Summer 2018?

“Completely different landscape. It was brand new, it was this new sport that obviously David Feldman worked really hard to make a possibility. But man like, without speaking too much on it I was really, really, really fortunate for timing and where I was at in my career and life. When bare-knuckle boxing became a thing, man, it was almost like a resurgence of a career for me. Where I knew that this was something I could have a ton of success in and be really good at.”

“Now that we finally have this platform to do it, so timing was crazy for me. Because I was at a point in my life back then in 2018 where I was contemplating if I was going to keep fighting or not. MMA was this grind that I’ve done for the last fifteen years at that point. I’ve already been to the UFC, getting back was going to be really difficult. I knew that and was like man, do I have it in me still ?”

Johnny Bedford continued, “Then bare-knuckle boxing became a thing, man, and it was again, a resurgence of my career, a resurgence of my mental health I guess. Something fresh, something new, it was this new exciting sport. I knew again that I had an opportunity to really make a name for myself and then ideally change my life and my family’s life, financially and all those ways as well.”

BKFC 1

What was your individual feelings on fight day? As an extension, what was the general vibe backstage from what you could tell?

“The vibe was different. It was different than anything I’d ever been before. Obviously, I’ve been in the back of millions of fights whether I’m fighting myself or coaching or anything else. But bare-knuckle was different because it was almost like the olden days of these guys that have never done this before, you know. Back in 2003 when I started fighting MMA and ****, you’d show up and there’d be guys that literally have never even been in a gym before and fighting.”

“It wasn’t to that where there were all these novices but nobody really knew what to expect. Nobody knew. Obviously, you can’t no one’s sparring bare-knuckle. So you know what I mean? At that first event, I feel like everyone that was part of it did a great job matching that first card because it was everything they needed it to be, I think. Everyone’s ego was there, everyone was excited about this new sport. Everyone thought that oh, this sport is going to be for me, this is my chance.”

“The ones that obviously that figured it out knew how to use their IQ and figure this game out are the ones that have now had the most success. You look at Bare Knuckle 1, look at all the guys that fought there. It was myself, Reggie Barnett, Joey Beltran, so I mean guys that have been multiple-time world champions now all started there. I think a big part of it was that we got our experience, we got our feet wet first, and we knew how to run with this ****.”

Photo credit: BKFC 1 Tapology page

Johnny Bedford vs Nick Mamalis

You knew even before that bare-knuckle debut that you didn’t need to bomb these big punches to have success. What were the sensations like landing that first pro bare knuckle strike? Also, what were the thoughts on the Mamalis fight in general?

“I think that’s where you find out the guys who have done this and the guys who have not done this. Because you see right away honestly, man. Like when I fought my first ever bare-knuckle fight, it was against a Bellator (MMA) vet Nick Mamalis. Had similar experience as I did in the MMA world. But I just; couple things. I knew that I was kind of cut from a different cloth. Don’t want to beat on my own chest here but I knew that we lived a different life.”

“I knew that I grew up a little rougher than him, I grew up a little tougher than him. But again when that fight started and I touched him and as soon as I started hitting him, you could tell right away that one of us likes this and one of us does not. That’s always like when we sign new people or you hear about these big names coming, I just personally, I don’t get super excited until I see them once. Because I want to see how they react to that. You know what I mean?”

“This is not a knock at all on him and I don’t think he quit per se. A lot of people are talking **** about him. But you saw it firsthand a couple of weeks ago with Luke Rockhold. He said he’ll never do this **** again without gloves on. It’s not for him and I think it’s not for a majority of the people. It’s not that it’s any more dangerous, it’s just different and it feels different. Without that little four-ounce glove on, it feels different, people don’t like it. Once you start seeing your own blood, people start falling apart.”

The post Johnny Bedford: BKFC 1 Five-Year Anniversary Retrospective appeared first on Bare Knuckle News.

Reggie Barnett Jr defeated Travis Thompson by way of a unanimous decision at BKFC 1, on June 2nd 2018.

Barnett Jr spoke to Dylan Bowker of Bare Knuckle News about this landmark event. Excerpts from the chat with the current BKFC bantamweight champion are below.

Reggie Barnett Jr.

What were your initial thoughts when you got a bare-knuckle boxing offer in the Summer of 2018?

“You know when I went to the tryout, I knew hands down that I was one of the best fighters there, you know. I already knew that, it was just a matter of would it actually happen. Would Dave (Feldman) finally get that go-ahead to have an actual bare-knuckle event. When we got that call that it was going down in Wyoming, I was like damn right. It’s go time.”

What was your awareness of the sport of bare-knuckle prior to BKFC and how important was it to interweave yourself into this returning sport that wasn’t transpiring in America for over a century?

“I mean, I didn’t know what I was getting into, man. I just knew that I was going to prepare myself in any way, shape, form possible for whatever was to come.”

“Yeah you know, it was really important to me to be a part of history when I initially started this journey. I told my Dad you know, I was like Dad I’m going to go do bare-knuckle. He was like what, where, what? I was like Dad, I’m going to be a part of history. Our name will forever go down in sports and combat history. Here we are, almost five years removed. I am the only fighter from the original tryout who is still currently active and a current BKFC champion like I knew I would be when I started this.”

BKFC

What was your temperament like on fight day and what was the general atmosphere like among the fighters backstage?

“The best way I could describe this is, me and one of my trainers at the time we were sitting in the dressing room. He goes yo, yo, yo, that’s Johnny Bedford and I was like who? He was like that’s Johnny Bedford, he was on TUF (The Ultimate Fighter). I was like, I have no idea who that is. Then I looked at Johnny, Johnny looked at me, and we gave each other that mutual head nod. I looked back at my coach and I said I’m going to fight him.”

Reggie Barnett Jr continued, “I said me and him are going to fight for the world title. Knew that first time (laughs). Like it just; it was all written. I didn’t know what to expect but I knew that no matter what came my way, I was going to make sure that I was prepared for and ready for to the best of my ability. Whatever I had to deal with inside that squared circle or outside.”

BKFC 1

What was the sensation like landing that first bare-knuckle punch?

“Oh, man, I fell in love with it. That first off the line, bing-bing. I dropped Travis off the line, they never caught that, never got credit for it. But that first knuckle up like I said, changed my life. One of the best moments ever. I knew I was where I needed to be and where I wanted to be. That first bing-bing, one-two off the line set the tone for everything.”

What were the main takeaways from the Travis Thompson performance overall?

“I was still learning, especially that first fight. I broke both my hands. It was either the second or third round, it was a left uppercut, right hook. So I had to learn how to throw punches, where to throw punches, and in that first fight I just kind of went out there with a boxer and I was like imma let these things go (laughs).”

Reggie Barnett Jr. continued, “But as time has gone on I feel like and I stand on it, we have great fighters in this league now. Other great champions but when you look at the aspect of a true bare-knuckle fighter, you know. What a real all-encompassing, well-rounded, tactical bare knuckle fighter is, I am the best one on the planet. That’s how I feel.”

Photo credit: BKFC 1 Tapology page

Reggie Barnett Jr vs Travis Thompson

How does a bare-knuckle strike feel completely different from any strike in the world and what were the physical sensations in the days following BKFC 1?

“I always tell people a good boxing punch can pierce your soul. But a solid bare-knuckle strike can take a slice out of your life. That is the best way I can put it.”

The post Reggie Barnett Jr: BKFC 1 Five-Year Anniversary Retrospective appeared first on Bare Knuckle News.

Travis Thompson and Reggie Barnett Jr. fought on BKFC 1. Barnett Jr. earned got the W, via a unanimous decision over Thompson on June 2nd, 2018.

Thompson spoke to Dylan Bowker of Bare Knuckle News for the five-year anniversary of this inaugural event and pulled back the curtain on the landmark event. Excerpts from the chat are below.

Travis Thompson

What were your initial thoughts when a bare-knuckle boxing offer came your way in Summer 2018?

“Well my first thoughts were; Dave (Feldman) called me up. Like I’m pretty good friends with the Feldmans. His dad was my boxing trainer. So Dave’s been a part of my entire professional career. So I mean, he pretty much told me that he got bare knuckle approved. I was like are you serious? He’s like oh yeah, you’re going to be fighting on pay-per-view. So I was totally stoked for that. You can’t hurt my hands so I wasn’t really nervous about any of that.”

“It was just – the one thing that messed me up the most was when the actual fight did happen, you know. There’s a big difference between fighting with gloves and without gloves. As I noticed after the first fight, that little bit of cushion that you have on your gloves is a big difference for your hand-eye coordination and just your footwork. So if you step in when you go to throw a punch, when you have the pad on it’s going to touch. It’s going to hit that person. When the gloves are off can’t touch them”

BKFC

How did it feel being part of the sport’s return to America after over a century?

“Yeah, it was awesome. The one thing, I mean, these are only five two-minute rounds. But I mean technically in history, Reggie and I are the first people to go the distance. Because back in the day, they wouldn’t stop until someone lost or someone won. At that first event, Reggie and I were the first two to go the distance. Everyone else was getting knocked out real early.”

It seems like a strong fight IQ was shown by yourself and Barnett Jr even that early on. Is that a fair way to characterize that?

“I absolutely agree with that, absolutely. Because you know, we both had kind of tough upbringings. We always solved our problems out on the streets. I mean growing up for me as a kid, I was always a small dude. I always got into fights all the time. I’ve always been a tough dude, that’s why my name’s ‘The Animal’. I’m always gonna give a hundred percent, I’m always going to be in your face, I’m always gonna come at you. It showed there in that fight too. Reggie did the same thing.”

Travis Thompson vs Reggie Barnett Jr.

What were your main takeaways from that debut bare-knuckle effort?

“I mean the one thing I took from the fight was that you’ve got to get that extra. Like the week of your fight, gloves come off all the way. So when I’m doing mitts even during camp, I’ll do mitts without gloves on at all because that range is a big factor. That range that I had said before, like when you’re a pro boxer and you’re boxing with an eight-ounce glove, that glove is still going to land on their face or to their body. Whereas with the glove off, it’s not landing anymore.”

“So you’ve got to make sure you step through every punch. So that was my main takeaway. I mean it was great, it was cool to be a part of history because that was the first one in the US. So I mean that’s awesome, that was really cool. Dave Feldman knows me personally. So he knows I’m always there to fight. I’m always going to grind; I’m always going to do what I have to do. So that’s never changed and never will change.”

“But as I progressed in bare-knuckle and I started getting a couple more fights, they kept doing them in Spring-Summer and I was getting my losses. If you actually look at my record in bare-knuckle, all my losses have come in Spring-Summer or even in the Fall. You don’t see any losses in the winter because I have time to actually just train. When I train, I’m undefeated. So what I’ve taken away from it is the range is important and to give yourself more time. If you’re gonna do this, you gotta do it a hundred percent.”

BKFC 1

Photo credit: BKFC 1 Tapology page

Is there a certain level of camaraderie with Barnett Jr. as well as the other fighters on BKFC 1 considering how you all were unified in this history-making return to form for bare-knuckle?

“Absolutely and if you know anything about me like I’m not that type of person. Like I work for a living. You’re calling me right now, I’m in Virginia (and) I live in Pennsylvania. I’m doing pipe work out here in Virginia. So I mean, I work, I train (laughs), that’s all I do, you know what I mean? So when it comes down to the sports and fighting, I’m not the type of guy that’s like oh that’s my man.”

Travis Thompson continued, “Afterwards, we’re gonna hug and be buddies. I’m not like that. I don’t give a **** because I’ve got a job to go back to on Monday. But Reggie was like, dude I don’t know what it is, man. I don’t want to like the person that I’m fighting because I’m there to kick your *** but he’s just a very good dude. After the fight dude, we were just talking and I don’t do that with anybody. Like (laughs) I’m not like that but he’s just a great dude.”

The post Travis Thompson: BKFC 1 Five-Year Anniversary Retrospective appeared first on Bare Knuckle News.

Estevan Payan halted Omar Avelar in the waning seconds of round one during their BKFC 1 bout. This transpired on June 2nd, 2018 and Payan joined me to discuss the five-year anniversary of the historic bare-knuckle boxing event after over a century of domestic dormancy previously.

Payan spoke to Dylan Bowker of Bare Knuckle News ahead of this historic moment for the sport. Excerpts from the chat are below.

Estevan Payan

Was the excitement there in a big way for being part of the first bare-knuckle boxing event that was regulated in America in over a century?

“Yeah, I was just like oh **** I want to try this. Like I grew up fighting (laughs). I was just a guy who in my neighborhood I was known for fighting. Everyone knew I could fight and that was all bare-knuckle…. Think about UFC. The first UFC that was bare-knuckle. There’s **** going on all the time… I just wanted to fight. I don’t care, this is going to be fun. Let’s fight.”

Estevan Payan continued, “When I talk about BKFC, I was thinking about the movie Gladiator with Cuba Gooding Jr. That’s what I was thinking about. Like I wasn’t thinking about all those boxers; those old two guys (John L. Sullivan and Jake Kilrain). It was like, oh **** this is going to be fun and I remember watching the movie.”

BKFC

What was the feeling like landing your exposed fist for the first time at BKFC 1 and what were the residual feelings in your body following the card?

“I didn’t feel ****. Like if you feel the punch, you’re probably going to break your ******* hand. You don’t want to feel it. You shouldn’t feel it because like I said, if you feel it, that means you’re ******* doing it wrong.”

Estevan Payan continued, “No, I didn’t really have nothing. I think I bruised one of my knuckles a little. But I was fine, I was ******* hitting the bag like two days later. I was hitting the bag like two days later after I got back home. But that’s like how I was telling you earlier if you feel the punch, you’re not punching right. Like if you feel like oh yeah, I could feel it. No, you don’t want to feel the punch.”

BKFC 1

How did it feel getting the first-round stoppage at this historic event?

“I just know that I beat the **** out of him, that’s it. Dude, did you see how much bigger I looked compared to that guy? He was overweight. He came in ten pounds overweight. I was underweight and I was still bigger than him. That’s what I was saying, quality over quantity. Because he was probably still fatter than me but it’s the same thing I say every day, I’m ******* built different. Yes, I’m built different because I’ve built myself different.”

Photo credit: BKFC 1 Tapology page

Estevan Payan vs Omar Avelar

Big names like Arnold Adams, Bobby Gunn, Bec Rawlings, etc fought on the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship kickoff event. Do you have any recollections of some of the other fights that were part of BKFC 1?

“No like I said I didn’t think any of them were really that good (laughs). Like I said like it’s basically they were all a lot of bar fights. Well, that’s what I was saying; if you’ve got to think about it, people don’t understand fighting.”

Estevan Payan continued, “Like I said everyone was like oh dude, you were like a bull just rushing forward. Like no. I did not rush forward. If you watched, I boxed. That’s the thing with all of those other fights, a lot of those were just like ******* bar fights. A lot of them were just dumb bar fights. There was like no high-level skill, they were just brawling.”

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