Knuckle Up: A look at the resurgence of bare knuckle boxing
What’s old is new again.
Bare Knuckle Boxing has risen from the ashes from a bar parking lot near you into a full fledged, professionally organized sport. While it sounds brutal and slightly barbaric, it's a sport that promises to keep you glued to your screen at all times. Launched by David Feldman in 2018, Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship or BKFC promoted the first organized bare knuckle boxing event since the late 1800s with a unique set of rules and an innovative circular ring designed to showcase highlight-reel worthy action.
After two years and ten events to date, the BKFC has made some waves in the combat sports world by showcasing MMA and boxing veterans in compelling matchups. Jason Knight, a former UFC star who rose to popularity in the mid-2010s, has created quite a stir amongst the bare knuckle community after his acclaimed battles with Artem Lobov, another former UFC veteran.
The promotion received mainstream publicity after announcing a featured attraction bout between Artem Lobov and former World Champion boxer, Paulie Malignaggi, who had a heated rivalry dating back to the build up of the Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor Pay-Per-View mega event, where Malignaggi helped train McGregor for a short time.
From a marketing standpoint, the promotion pays homage to the early days of mixed martial arts in the 1990s with their retro-style fighting graphics, a “dot TV” website URL and action-packed highlight reel video clips used to promote upcoming pay-per-view events. After a few years and a series of pay-per-view events featuring stars old and new from different corners of the combat universe, the BKFC proceeds on. While it has found ways to generate some buzz, it remains to be seen if it will catch on with the general sports public and earn coverage from the national sports media on a regular basis.
In recent weeks, there have been rumors of the legendary boxing Heavyweight Champion, Mike Tyson stepping into the bare knuckle ring for a big money bout. Only time will tell if it comes to fruition. If it does, you can be sure that Bare Knuckle boxing will earn from significant media coverage. For now, if you want to indulge in watching some organized closed-fist chaos inside of a ring, fire up the pay-per-view device of your choice, grab a light beer and some licorice and get ready for some unapologetic fun.
Hold onto your hat.
For more information on Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship, visit http://www.bareknuckle.tv
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