Category: BKFC

Bryce Hall vs. ‘Baby Slice’ removed from BKFC: KnuckleMania 5 lineup

Kimbo Slice’s son “Baby Slice” will no longer be making his BKFC debut vs. Bryce Hall this month.

(This story was updated with new information)

One of the more intriguing matchups scheduled for BKFC: KnuckleMania 5 will no longer go down.

The showdown between social media influencer [autotag]Bryce Hall[/autotag] and [autotag]Kevin Ferguson Jr.[/autotag], also known as “Baby Slice” as the son of the late Kimbo Slice, is off the Jan. 25 lineup at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Penn. (DAZN).

BKFC officials informed MMA Junkie of the news on Tuesday, but did not provide a reason why the fight was scratched.

Hall, 25, was looking to make his sophomore BKFC appearance at the event following a successful debut at BKFC 48 in August. He claimed on social media that Ferguson Jr. withdrew from the bout because he is “scared” (via Instagram):

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DEiJnGRJpj1

“I’m not a lawyer or anything, but I don’t understand how this whole situation is OK,” Hall said. “Terms were already agreed, paperwork was already done, contract were already done – everything was done. We did the whole f*cking nine yard, then after all that’s done, someone can jsut go, ‘All right, peace. Just kidding.’ As of today, Kimbo Slice Jr., he just doesn’t exist as a person. He doesn’t respond to anybody.

“He ghosted Dave Feldman, the owner of BKFC, he ghosted everybody and the guy just doesn’t exist anymore, I guess. I couldn’t fight a nobody. Honestly, it’s whatever. I’m just going to run with the narrative that Kimbo Slice Jr. is afraid of Bryce Hall.”

Ferguson Jr., 33, meanwhile, hasn’t seen combat sports competition since a TKO loss under the Misfits Boxing banner in April 2023.

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Jeremy Stephens sees BKFC fight vs. ex-UFC champ Eddie Alvarez as career defining

Jeremy Stephens sees a career defining opportunity in his main event bout vs. Eddie Alvarez at BKFC’s KnuckleMania 5.

Despite fighting some of the world’s best under the UFC banner for well over a decade, [autotag]Jeremy Stephens[/autotag] feels he hasn’t exactly gotten the respect he deserves from the combat sports world.

Stephens, a former UFC featherweight veteran, believes he has the perfect opportunity to change his legacy and fan perspective later this month, as he takes on former UFC and Bellator lightweight champion [autotag]Eddie Alvarez[/autotag]. The two are set to collide in bareknuckle boxing in the main event of BKFC’s KnuckleMania 5 on Jan. 25 at Wells Fargo Arena in Philadelphia, Penn.

“There’s a lot of questions to be answered, and I’ll answer them,” Stephens told MMA Junkie. “People are really going to have to respect that. You go out there and beat a guy like that with all the accolades in someone else’s hometown, backyard, and willing to take the risk and step up a weight class to make sure this fight actually happens?

“You tell me. I’m taking the biggest risk for the biggest opportunity. I’m putting my balls on the line for the fans. People may not like me, they may disagree with me all the time, but you look at the facts: Your boy right here is the real deal. I’m putting it all on the line.”

There’s no denying that Stephens is stepping in this opportunity as the underdog. He’s fighting a weight class above his usual one, and fighting in Alvarez’s hometown. Despite all that, Stephens is enjoying the moment and think it’s panning out to be for a perfect career defining moment.

“This is my dream. I’ve visualized it,” Stephens said. “I’ve been the one active. I’ve been making this opportunity. I took a pay cut last fight, just to put my f*cking balls on the line, so hopefully BKFC recognized that and lets it be known. I put it all on the line and took a big risk against a hard puncher that’s similar to my opponent. My opponent is shorter and slower, so you tell me. I put myself in theses opportunities. … People need to start putting some respect on my name. I’m putting it all on the line.”

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Ex-UFC, Bellator champ Eddie Alvarez opens up his retirement stance ahead of BKFC’s KnuckleMania 5

Will Eddie Alvarez retire after this fight against Jeremy Stephens at BKFC’s KnuckleMania 5? The former UFC champ discusses.

[autotag]Eddie Alvarez[/autotag] is one of the few MMA legends still competing in combat sports, and being 40 and having more than 40 professional fights, it’s safe to assume the end of his career is near.

But how close is retirement for “The Underground King”?

It seems the combat sports won’t get a heads-up, as that’s something that Alvarez wants to keep close to his vest. Alvarez, who returns on Jan. 25 in the main event of BKFC’s KnuckleMania 5 against fellow veteran Jeremy Stephens, wants his decision to hang up the gloves to be between him and his family and also not surrounding any competition.

“I’ll never make that decision on a Fight Night or even before a fight,” Alvarez told MMA Junkie. “I’ve been taking longer layoffs in between fights over the past probably like three or four years, taking longer layoffs to kind of find out who I am outside of fighting. I’ll never make that decision before or after a fight. That will be like, me and my wife will have some coffee and one morning I’m just going to say, ‘Hey, I think I’m done,’ and that will be it.

“I think that is a moment for me and my wife. We started this together with our four children. We put fighting first. We kind of married this whole game, me, my kids, my wife, and we traveled the whole world and put it in front of everything for the last 20 years. So that will be a special moment (for me and my wife), where I’ll just say, ‘Hey, I think it’s enough. I think we’re good.'”

Alvarez, who’s held lightweight titles in both UFC and Bellator, is eager to get back in the ring. Although his bout against Stephens might not be legacy defining, he still sees this as a very important moment in his career.

“For me, it’s a bucket list,” Alvarez said. “I fought for many promotions and I only got to come to Philadelphia like 14 years ago, and that was only one time ever. Philadelphia has always had licensing issues with MMA, and then it had some licensing issues with bareknuckle, but now that’s all past. I started fighting in the streets of Philly with no gloves on. At 19 years old, I decided to put gloves on for a career, and now it’s come full circle, and I’ve taken my gloves back off and headed to a sold-out Wells Fargo (Center) on Jan. 25 and get to do my thing in front of my city.”

 

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Four former UFC fighters set to compete at BKFC on DAZN at Mohegan Sun

BKFC has inked some familiar names for its return to Mohegan Sun.

In a pause period over the holidays and into the New Year like many other combat sports promotions, BKFC is looking to kick off 2025 with a bang.

Among its year-opening events is a BKFC on DAZN card scheduled for Feb. 1 at Mohegan Sun Arena. The card is the promotion’s second in New England after its debut in the Uncasville, Conn., venue in 2024.

The lineup continues to fill, but some names notable to MMA fans have already been added, including four UFC alumni, two “TUF” competitors and a veteran Bellator brawler.

Names from UFC yesteryears set to compete on the card include [autotag]Cameron VanCamp[/autotag], who headlines vs. “TUF” notable [autotag]Julian Lane[/autotag]. In the co-main event, former Bellator fan-favorite [autotag]Brennan Ward[/autotag] debuts vs. [autotag]James Dennis[/autotag].

Also on the card, former UFC heavyweights [autotag]Chase Gormley[/autotag] and [autotag]Parker Porter[/autotag] collide. UFC and PFL alum [autotag]Yorgan De Castro[/autotag] makes his bareknuckle debut vs. seasoned journeyman [autotag]Bobby Brents[/autotag]. Additionally, “TUF 31” cast member [autotag]Rico DiSciullo[/autotag] fights [autotag]Anthony Foye[/autotag].

The full BKFC on DAZN lineup for Mohegan Sun includes:

  • Julian Lane vs. Cameron VanCamp
  • James Dennis vs. Brennan Ward
  • Dakota Cochrane vs. Will Santiago
  • Adam De Freitas vs. Kastriot Xhema
  • Chase Gormley vs. Parker Porter
  • Rico DiSciullo vs. Anthony Foye
  • Bobby Brents vs. Yorgan De Castro
  • Jack Grady vs. Lardy Navarro
  • Jared Lennon vs. Danny Pettit
  • Spencer Meehan vs. Grady Wall
  • Tyler Randall vs. Andrew Strode

Jeremy Stephens warns Eddie Alvarez before BKFC fight: ‘My hands are better than Mike Perry’s’

Jeremy Stephens vows to prove he’s “King of the Barbarians” against Eddie Alvarez at BKFC: KnuckleMania 5.

[autotag]Jeremy Stephens[/autotag] thinks he’s found a home in BKFC, and is ready to prove he’s a top dog in that promotion against [autotag]Eddie Alvarez[/autotag].

Stephens is set to take on Alvarez in the main event of BKFC: KnuckleMania 5 on Jan. 25 at Wells Fargo Arena in Philadelphia, Penn. The card streams on DAZN, with the pair set for five, two-minute rounds at 165 pounds.

After a long combat sports career of more than 30 UFC fights and multiple PFL appearances, Stephens landed in BKFC in late 2023. He’s 2-0 in the organization, and now steps into the main event spotlight for the first time against former UFC and Bellator lightweight champ Alvarez, who is 1-1 in BKFC.

Alvarez is coming off a December 2023 loss to Mike Perry in which he suffered multiple orbital fractures. The 41-year-old now returns to competition for a hometown headliner, but the 38-year-old Stephens sees him as a prime candidate for a beating.

“To his face I didn’t say anything but facts,” Stephens told MMA Junkie. “He got his face caved in. Not lying about that. You look like you haven’t really been training at all. Even if you are, like that day I could’ve beat his ass. Right now he could walk into my back yard and I would f*ck you up. I know I’m going to win.

“I hit hard. I hit often. My hands are better than Mike Perry’s. Believe me. I have a lot of ferocious skill and intent. I may not hit as hard or have that weight behind it, but I hit hard. I hit often. I hit very sharply. I’m very psychotically skilled to set that up.”

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Stephens is beaming with confidence ahead of the bout despite feeling like he’s taking the far “bigger risk” compared to his opponent. Stephens, who spent years competing at featherweight in the UFC, noted he will be the smaller man, and he is going into enemy territory to take on Alvarez.

Nevertheless, Stephens said he carries an unfettered belief that BKFC is a sport even better suited for his approach to combat than Alvarez, who is legendary in MMA for his all-time wars.

“Watch these bare knuckle fights (with me), bro – I’m breaking f*cking spirits in there,” Stephens said. “I feel like I am home. The King of the Barbarians is home. This game is different. I was born for this sh*t. I come from it. I love this sh*t. I can’t wait. It’s me verse me.”

Video: UFC, Bellator veteran Sabah Homasi scores KO in BKFC debut

Sabah Homasi confirmed beliefs that BKFC would be a good fit for his style with a knockout win his debut.

[autotag]Sabah Homasi[/autotag] seemed like a strong fit for BKFC when he signed with the promotion this year, and he showed why that was an appropriate belief on Saturday in his promotional debut.

Homasi, a three-fight UFC and 12-fight Bellator veteran, returned to combat sports competition from a 13-month layoff over the weekend and made a solid impression in his first fight under the BKFC banner against Eduardo Peralta.

After landing some big shots on Peralta in the opening round of the 175-pound bout at BKFC on DAZN 3, which went down at Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Fla., Homasi sealed the deal early in the second when he connected with a hard right hand that sent his opponent to the mat. Peralta could not get up to beat the referee’s count, and Homasi was awarded the knockout win.

Check out the video below to see Homasi’s handiwork (via X):

Homasi, 36, came into his BKFC debut on the heels of consecutive brutal knockout losses against Levan Chokheli and Brennan Ward. It was his first combat sports win since June 2022.

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Photos: Bloodiest battles in BKFC history

They said gloves are meant to protect the hands not the head – but these photos say otherwise. Check them out, if you dare.

They say gloves are meant to protect the hands not the head – but these photos say otherwise. Check out the nastiest and bloodiest battles in BKFC history in the gallery below – if you dare. (Photos courtesy of BKFC)

Mike Perry calls out retired ex-UFC champion Robbie Lawler for BKFC fight

Mike Perry called out UFC legend Robbie Lawler, who was just feet away from him at Saturday’s BKFC Hollywood.

[autotag]Mike Perry[/autotag] is already name hunting for opponents for 2025.

The former UFC fighter and BKFC’s “King of Violence” champion took matchmaking into his own hands and called out former UFC welterweight champion [autotag]Robbie Lawler[/autotag] to a bareknuckle boxing fight. Perry did so by hopping in the ring, getting on the microphone, and calling out Lawler, who was sitting ringside at Saturday’s Bareknuckle Hollywood event in South Florida.

“Who should face me next? I see Robbie Lawler in the crowd and I think he should take the gloves off, and he should step inside the squared circle against ‘Platinum’ Mike Perry,” Perry said.

Lawler, 42, retired from fighting in July 2023 after stopping Niko Price at UFC 290. “Ruthless” is one of the more established names at 170 pounds of the last decade. He held the UFC welterweight title from 2014 to 2016. Lawler has defeated many notable names in MMA, including Nick Diaz, Carlos Condit, Rory MacDonald, Donald Cerrone and Josh Koscheck.

Perry, 33, has risen in fame since his UFC departure in 2021. He’s undefeated as a bareknuckle boxer under BKFC, with a record of 5-0. In his most recent outing, back in July, Perry suffered a TKO defeat to YouTuber turned fighter Jake Paul in the boxing ring.

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BKFC president David Felman announces $25 million tournament for 2025

BKFC to host a tournament in 2025 that will have a $25 million prize.

BKFC will host a $25 million tournament in 2025.

BKFC president [autotag]David Felman[/autotag] announced the news Saturday at the BKFC Hollywood post-fight press conference in Hollywood, Fla.

“We’re going to have the biggest, baddest fight tournament that ever took place, and it’s going to start in April,” Feldman said. “It’s going to be the $25 million world’s baddest tournament.”

Felman didn’t reveal how the allocation of the $25 million will work out, but he did reveal other details, including the planned tournament duration and breakdown.

“It’s going to spread out between nine or 12 months,” Feldman said. “There’s going to be tryouts, qualifying rounds and those qualifying rounds are going to take place in five different continents.

“We’re close to locking in a huge streaming platform that’s going to have the rights to this thing, so everything is really falling in place. I can’t give you all the details, but it will be the biggest, baddest, biggest prize money to find the baddest motherf*cker on the face of this earth.”

BKFC has led the charge in recent years for bareknuckle boxing. Although the promotion has several notable names, such as former UFC fighters Mike Perry, Eddie Alvarez and Jeremy Stephens, Feldman said all fighters will have to try out – no fighters will be given slots in the tournament.

“Everyone has to try out for it. No one is getting pre-qualified,” Feldman said. “They have to try out for it and they’re going to have to fight in qualifying rounds to make the tournament. I mean, it’s not a joke purse. It’s a real purse, so they have to really fight.”

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