Tag: Austin Trout

New BKFC champion Austin Trout eyes Eddie Alvarez, Mike Perry for Knuckle Mania 4

Knuckle Mania 4 is coming up in April and could be BKFC’s most stacked card ever. Austin Trout wants Eddie Alvarez or Mike Perry for it.

[autotag]Austin Trout[/autotag] turns his attention to money fights now that he’s accomplished an unusual and impressive feat.

A former WBA champion, Trout notched his second world title in a different combat sport Feb. 2 when he defeated Luis Palomino at BKFC 57 to become the promotion’s welterweight champion.

“This belt means a lot,” Trout recently told MMA Junkie Radio. “Being a world champion is nothing to shy at. It’s nothing to turn your nose up at. It’s definitely a major feat. To be a two-sport champion? That’s pretty legacy stuff right there. It means a lot, you know? I’m on a really short list of people who have done that.”

Boxing’s storied history and championship lineage means Trout’s previous boxing world title reign means more than the one he notched weeks ago.

But there’s a certain savagery and bravery that comes with bareknuckle fighting, and for that reason, Trout indicated his BKFC title isn’t far behind in the power rankings.

“There’s a lot of history so that boxing title definitely weighs a lot more, but don’t get it twisted,” Trout said. “Muhammad Ali holds the same belt that I had. But at the same time, BKFC has some real killers in there, not to mention that it takes a certain special kind of person to want to fight. It takes an even more crazy, demented, special type of person to want to bareknuckle fight. I ask my peers, ‘Are you down?’ The majority of them were like, ‘Nah, I’m good. I’m not with that.’ So to be the champion of a combat sport that a real select few combatants would do, I’m bad mother-shut-your-mouth.”

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Even though he went five full rounds with Palomino, a beastly combatant who is held in regard by many as the best bareknuckle fighter to date, Trout walked away relatively unscathed.

With Knuckle Mania 4 recently announced for April 27 in Los Angeles, Trout wants a big name on what could be the promotion’s most high-profile card of all time.

“Nothing has been shot my way yet, but I’ll be there,” Trout said. “I’m just going to throw a name out there. [autotag]Eddie Alvarez[/autotag] is a good fight for LA. Tony Soto would be a good fight for LA. Tony Soto, they say he’s the No. 1 at 165. Those are two different decent names to put under my belt.

“…To be honest, the [autotag]Mike Perry[/autotag] fight does intrigue me. It does. It does intrigue me. … The way I’m feeling right now, it seems like a tough one on paper but I feel like I’ll make that fight look easy too.”

No fights have been announced for Knuckle Mania 4 at this time, though the event serves as the promotion’s first in California and is a trial run for widespread bareknuckle boxing sanctioning in the state.

Neither Perry nor Alvarez are booked at this time.

BKFC 57 results: Austin Trout sticks and moves on Luis Palomino to win welterweight title

Former WBA champion Austin Trout is now a bareknuckle champion after handing Luis Palomino his first loss in BKFC.

Former WBA boxing champion [autotag]Austin Trout[/autotag] has added another belt to his mantle by winning the BKFC welterweight title.

Trout stepped into the ring at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Fla. against the man who many labeled as the No. 1 pound-for-pound bareknuckle boxer, Luis Palomino. But after five rounds, Trout’s traditional boxing experience shined in a stick-and-move clinic to earn unanimous 49-46 scores to win the title, and give Palomino his first bareknuckle defeat.

Trout controlled the action early behind a snappy right jab that he sent to the body and head. Palomino searched for his openings, looking to duck under and come over the top with hooks – and he connected with a nice left. The opening feel-out round seemed to fly by.

Palomino turned up the intensity early in Round 2 by charging forward with punches and putting Trout into clinches against the ropes. Trout continued to work behind his jab, and snuck in a nice short uppercut as Palomino closed the distance.

A similar approach from both fighters began Round 3. Palomino continued to be aggressive, which allowed opportunities for Trout to land some well-timed counters.

Trout circled on the outside to start Round 4, reading Palomino’s movements. In a heated exchange, Trout clipped Palomino on the chin, and then appeared to push him to the canvas as he circled around. The referee ruled it as the first knockdown of the fight. Palomino returned to his feet, and the fight continued into the last round.

Controlling the center, Trout made Palomino come to him, and the champ was up for the task. Palomino began furiously chasing Trout around the ring, waving Trout in, which got the crowd excited. Trout evaded and taunted until the final bell sounded.

Strike totals shown on the broadcast favored Trout 99 to 40, which was reflected on the judges’ scorecards.

During his post-fight interview, Trout gave his props to Palomino, but also promised to hold the title for a long time.

“I am the champ of the BKFC and I’m going to be here for a long time, so get tired of me,” Trout said. “You can get tired of me, but I’m not going nowhere.”

Trout improves to 2-0 under the BKFC banner, while Palomino walks away with his first loss in bareknuckle competition with a record of 9-1.

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Watch BKFC 57: Luis Palomino vs. Austin Trout main card replay

Watch the full BKFC 57 main card featuring a welterweight title bout between Luis Palomino and Austin Trout.

BKFC returned to action in Florida and you can watch the main card live right here on MMA Junkie.

BKFC 57 took place at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Fla., and featured a welterweight title fight between champion [autotag]Luis Palomino[/autotag] and former boxing champ [autotag]Austin Trout[/autotag].

Palomino, a former Bellator and WSOF fighter, held two titles under the BKFC banner. The former lightweight and current welterweight champion entered undefeated in bareknuckle competition, and placed the latter title on the line against Trout, who competed in bareknuckle boxing for just the second time.

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You can watch a replay of main card in the video above.

The full BKFC 57 lineup includes:

  • Luis Palomino vs. Austin Trout – for welterweight title
  • Bryce Henry vs. Robbie Peralta
  • Bryan Duran vs. Louis Lopez
  • Jomi Escoboza vs. Issac Doolittle
  • Alberto Blas vs. Daniel Alvarez
  • Christine Vicens vs. Sydney Smith
  • Leonardo Perdomo vs. Bobby Brents
  • Justin Ibarrola vs. Landon Williams
  • Edgard Plazaola vs. Darrick Gates
  • Matt Russo vs. Justin Street
  • Chris Garcia vs. Albert Inclan
  • Ryan Reber vs. Derek Perez
  • Stephen Townsel vs. Leo Bercier

Luis Palomino: Austin Trout fight at BKFC 57 ‘definitely a good start’ toward marquee names

Luis Palomino is happy to be fighting Austin Trout at BKFC 57, but he’s still angling the marquee names.

[autotag]Luis Palomino[/autotag] is not entirely happy with the opportunities he’s been getting as of late in BKFC, but believes things are turning in the right direction.

The BKFC lightweight champion returns to the ring this Friday, as he’s set to headline BKFC 57, which goes down at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Fla.

Palomino has been angling for fights against the marquee names of BKFC such as Mike Perry, Eddie Alvarez and Chad Mendes. Although he didn’t get any of those for his return, he did draw former WBA champion [autotag]Austin Trout[/autotag], who he finds as a good introduction for the bigger names.

“This is definitely a high-profile name,” Palomino told MMA Junkie Radio. “I like this name. I was supposed to fight him a while back, but it didn’t happen, and now we brought the fight back. This is a two-time former WBA champion. He brings all the eyes of the boxing community. (Mike) Perry and Eddie Alvarez they bring the eyes of the MMA community. Both communities are huge. Boxing is older than MMA. Over here, in Florida, the boxing community is huge. They all have all these old-school Cuban boxers and whatnot, and everybody is tuned in. This event is sold out.

“Everyone’s eyes are on this fight because this is a very high-profile boxer, very accomplished. He fought the likes of Canelo Alvarez – gave him a run for his money, the Charlo brothers. He even knocked out Miguel Cotto. The guy has done his job in glove boxing, so this is a high-profile fight that I have been asking. It might not be the one I’ve been asking for, but it’s definitely a good start.”

Palomino previously told MMA Junkie that he’s willing to retire after Saturday if he doesn’t get the bigger names he was asking for.

“You’re bringing them in with the eyes behind them, but I think we’ve done that enough to build on your champions that were built in your house, and that’s me, that’s the Juggernaut, that Christine Ferea,” Palomino said. “I have six world title defenses. I’m the only undefeated, two-division undefeated champion. I’m out here raising my hand asking to fight all these high-profile names and willing to go three weight classes above. … I’m like, ‘Hey, man. Throw me a bone. I’m not just asking, I’ve earned it. I’m 9-0, undefeated, two-division champion. I’ve earned it and that’s what I’m fighting for.”

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Austin Trout plans to hand Louis Palomino first bareknuckle loss at BKFC 57, explains confusion over title fight

Austin Trout wasn’t going to be satisfied with his BKFC 57 booking against Luis Palomino unless a title was on the line.

[autotag]Austin Trout[/autotag] wasn’t going to be satisfied with his BKFC 57 booking against Luis Palomino unless a title was on the line.

According to Trout, a boxing standout who moved to the world of bareknuckle with a debut with over “The Ultimate Fighter 1” winner Diego Sanchez in February 2023, the initial plans called for him to challenge Palomino for the BKFC welterweight title on the Feb. 2 card (TrillerTV)at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Fla.

There was a brief plot twist after Palomino was allegedly stripped of his belt due to inactivity before being reinstated as the champ. That caused some confusion, but Trout said his bout with Palomino will have the belt on the line.

“Trying to make a long story not that long, Palomino was stripped of his belt,” Trout recently told MMA Junkie Radio. “Even though he never lost it, it was due to him not defending it, I guess. But they gave it back. They made the fight and told me it was for a title, they announced it not for a title, I raised my issue, they said, ‘It’s for a title, don’t worry.’ Contract says it’s for a title. As far as I’m concerned, it’s for a title.”

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Trout, 38, said his goal is to capture the BKFC title and bring stability to the welterweight division. There have only been three title fights in the weight class since a championship was introduced in January 2022, and no one has successfully defended it to this date.

He plans to change all that and wants to be a fighting champion the promotion deserves.

“After getting this title, and not saying I’m going to be done with boxing, if the right opportunity comes I’ll absolutely take it, but my focus will be more on BKFC,” Trout said. “I’m champion. I’ve got to represent, you feel me? There’s a duty that champions, I feel, they have to the sport they’re champion of. I’m going to fulfill that duty. One of those things is taking on the mandatory (challenger) or the next in line, however you want to call it. I jumped the line to get this belt, so I’m going to get whoever is next.”

Trout said he’s fully aware beating Palomino is going to be no easy task, mainly because no one has done it before under this ruleset. Palomino, 43, is a remarkable 9-0 under the BKFC banner, and even though Trout respects that, he expects the run to end at BKFC 57.

“When someone asks me, ‘Who would be on your Mount Rushmore of BKFC?’ The four I had was ‘Juggernaut’ (Lorenzo Hunt), Christine Ferea, John Dodson and, of course, Luis Palomino,” Trout said. “You’ve got to give the man his flowers. Mike Perry soon. He hasn’t done more. I think I have a few different styles to neutralize him.”

MMA Junkie Radio #3427: Guest Austin Trout, UFC Fight Night 234 preview, more

Check out the latest episode of MMA Junkie Radio with “Gorgeous” George and “Goze.”

Thursday’s edition of MMA Junkie Radio with “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” is here.

On Episode 3,427, the fellas welcome in pro boxer Austin Trout, who will be facing Luis Palomino at BKFC 57 for the welterweight title. The fellas also discussed the first UFC event of 2024, UFC Fight Night 234, and the latest MMA news. Tune in!

Austin Trout interested in fighting BKFC champ-champ Luis Palomino: ‘He’s definitely a good fighter’

Austin Trout is down to take on BKFC champ-champ Luis Palomino next.

[autotag]Austin Trout[/autotag] is more than down to take on BKFC’s finest.

The former WBA boxing champion is ready to challenge two-division BKFC champion Luis Palomino for one of his titles. Trout is coming off a successful bareknuckle boxing debut against former UFC contender Diego Sanchez at last weekend’s BKFC Knucklemania 3 in Albuquerque, N.M.

Despite only having one bareknuckle boxing fight under his belt, Trout feels capable of taking on the challenge.

“If they’re going to give it to me, I’ll take it,” Trout told MMA Junkie Radio. “I’ve seen videos of Luis Palomino, and I’m not saying he’s not a good fighter. He’s definitely a good fighter and champ for a reason, but I see something, and I’m with it. If they give me that opportunity, I’ll take it.”

Following Trout’s win over Sanchez, Palomino stepped into the ring to tease a potential fight between the two. Palomino would like to defend in April – a date Trout likes, but isn’t 100 percent sure about.

“I think I can be ready by April, we’ll see,” Trout said. “My hands are still a little tender. We’ll see how long it takes for them to get better, and then we’ll start from there.”

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As far as the challenge itself, Trout sees Palomino as a formidable opponent. He respects what he’s done in the bareknuckle boxing world, but still feels his boxing pedigree will be too much for the Peruvian.

“With Palomino, we better take him seriously,” Trout said. “Even with Diego, we took him seriously. We had to take him seriously. It only takes one shot.

“Palomino has much better hands than Diego, it’s evident. I mean, he’s the champion, and he’s, I think, eight fights in and undefeated and all. I think, again, he’s going to have to have an answer for the counter shots. In boxing, something that I was really good at was to draw people in and then meeting them right where they are. And that was the best way to work people who have slower feet.

“I don’t want to give too much away, but he’s going to have to figure that out. And if he does fogure it out, I have like one or two things more that he’s going to have to figure out.”

Austin Trout responds to Diego Sanchez’s ‘bogus’ cheating accusation at BKFC Knucklemania 3

“The Vaseline had nothing to do with nothing,” Austin Trout said of his win over Diego Sanchez.

[autotag]Austin Trout[/autotag] is not happy with some of the chatter following his Bare Knuckle FC debut.

Although the former WBA boxing champion successfully made his transition to bareknuckle last Friday at BKFC KnuckleMania 3 in Albuquerque, N.M., some people are accusing him to have cheated. Trout was accused by opponent Diego Sanchez, who lost by doctor’s stoppage, to have greased for the fight, making him hard to get a hold of.

Trout finds Sanchez’s accusations to be ridiculous.

“Cap, super cap,” Trout told MMA Junkie Radio. “… To say that I cheated is bogus. I didn’t cheat. There’s no clear lines that talk about Vaseline. We didn’t do anything in the box away from anyone, and we didn’t come out trying to hide anything. Everything was done right there in front of everyone.

“If anyone had a problem with it, they should’ve talked about it then. After the fight, Diego, I was right there with him. You know the reason he said why he couldn’t clinch? Out of his own mouth before he saw a video that suggested I was cheating. It wasn’t his idea. It was a video that gave him this idea that I was cheating, which I was very aggravated about.

“He said the reason why he couldn’t clinch was because of the speed and the foot work. That was the reason why he couldn’t clinch.”

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Trout confirmed he did apply Vaseline prior and during the fight. However, he was inspected by BKFC officials prior to entering ring. He said it’s a common practice in the boxing world.

‘In boxing, we put Vaseline over everywhere,” Trout explained. “In MMA, they have a certain amount that they allow. I don’t know what that is, but they check you right at the front. Over here they checked us at the front, and it was fine. We got in there and whatever we put on in between rounds because we do just like he did.

“He said he didn’t get none, but we have footage that he got Vaseline before and in between the rounds. If his corner didn’t put enough, that’s his corner’s fault. And if they didn’t like how much Vaseline I put on, then they should’ve checked me, but they didn’t. … And again, I didn’t put excessive Vaseline, because even in boxing they don’t allow excessive Vaseline. They make you wipe it off if it’s too much.”

Trout is happy with his performance and his experience debuting in bareknuckle boxing. He wants to return and continue down that path. However, he does admit he is partly annoyed that some of the attention from his win is being shined on Sanchez’s comments.

“It’s just annoying honestly,” Trout said. “At first, I was like, ‘You can’t be serious.’ But then there’s a bunch of, well, I think they’re bots because most of them have less than 100 followers (on social media) and a lot of them are private with no pictures, but they’re talking big head.

“It didn’t sour the victory, because he didn’t get close enough to touch me. Let’s just keep it above. The Vaseline had nothing to do with nothing.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for BKFC Knucklemania 3.

Austin Trout on Diego Sanchez fight at Knucklemania 3: ‘I’m going to retire him’ but ‘save him the head trauma’

Austin Trout certainly doesn’t plan to go easy on Diego Sanchez, who says he’s “rapture-ready” ahead of BKFC Knucklemania 3.

[autotag]Austin Trout[/autotag] certainly doesn’t plan to go easy on [autotag]Diego Sanchez[/autotag] but says he will show him some mercy.

Trout, a former WBA champion, and UFC veteran Sanchez will make their bareknuckle boxing debuts Friday night when they meet at BKFC Knucklemania 3 in Albuquerque, N.M. The event streams live on pay-per-view on FITE.TV.

Trout, 37, is on a five-fight boxing winning streak, which includes a recent victory on December 9. Sanchez, however, is coming off a significantly longer layoff from competition as he most recently dropped a unanimous decision in mixed martial arts to Kevin Lee in March 2022 at Eagle FC 46.

Sanchez, now 41, also acknowledges this could be his swan song.

“It could be my last fight, the way the world is going right now,” Sanchez said Thursday at Knucklemania 3 media day, via KRQE. “I feel like God’s coming back, and I’m rapture-ready.”

Trout took Sanchez’s comments about a possible final fight a step further.

“Oh, it’s going to be his last fight,” Trout said.. “He already knows that I’m about to retire this cat. That’s funny. He’s like, ‘This is my last.’ But you know what they say about the dying lion. The dying tiger is most dangerous. So, I have not taken this lightly, but yeah, I believe I’m going to retire him.”

Sanchez told MMA Junkie Radio last month that he expects to be “very dominant” against Trout, but many would say it’s a dangerous fight for the first-evet champion of “The Ultimate Fighter.”

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For starters, Sanchez needed extra testing to be cleared by the New Mexico commission to compete at Knucklemania 3. And there’s little doubt who is more skilled with his hands.

Trout speaks like a man who is well aware of this.

“I was all for the New Mexico OGs to fight, and we jumped through hoops to get cleared to make sure he is able to fight,” Trout, whose first-career boxing loss was to Canelo Alvarez in 2013, told Just Scrap Radio (h/t MMA Mania). “Nonetheless, he passed all the medical exams so we have a fight. God willing we both walk away healthy and happy, maybe him not so happy but more so healthy.

“I’m going to knock his ass out. He is too tough for his own good. I’m going to body him, meaning I will go to his body and save him the head trauma.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Knucklemania 3.

New Mexico approves Diego Sanchez to fight Austin Trout in BKFC after additional medical testing

After health concerns expressed by a New Mexico commissioner, Diego Sanchez is clear to compete against former boxing champ Austin Trout.

[autotag]Diego Sanchez[/autotag]’s bare-knuckle boxing debut against Austin Trout has the green light to proceed following the submission of additional medical testing.

During a special hearing Tuesday attended virtually by MMA Junkie, the New Mexico Athletic Commission approved the bout between the UFC legend and former boxing champion at the upcoming BKFC: KnuckleMania 3 event in Albuquerque by a vote of 3-1.

The meeting was the second in recent weeks to discuss the prospects of New Mexico’s Sanchez fighting Trout. On Dec. 21, the fight was discussed as part of the event license approval, but commissioner Jerome O’Connell voiced concerns about Sanchez’s health – especially pertinent to the level of opposition.

Since the initial hearing, Sanchez and his manager, Ricky Kottenstette, submitted additional medical testing that included a brain MRI and a neurological exam, which led to approval from all voting commission members except O’Connell. He indicated outside regulatory bodies had voiced concerns to NMAC about Sanchez.

“(Concerns) for me center around Diego Sanchez’s long-standing concerns about neurological issues and concussions, and his concerns in articles and interviews about brain damage,” O’Connell said. “Those, for me, haven’t been alleviated by an MRI and a neurology report. I have some of the same reservations that we talked about when we last got together.

“… I find it compelling that there are concerns outside of our body with this fight. That gives me pause.”

While Sanchez did not speak on Tuesday’s call, he went before the commission at the Dec. 21 meeting and attributed many of the online concerns to his former manager, Joshua Fabia, as hearsay. Sanchez indicated he cares about his long-term health and took it upon himself to get examined to ensure no serious issues.

Both Sanchez, 41, and Trout, 37, will make their BKFC debut Feb. 17 at Tingley Coliseum in Albuquerque. The main card streams on BareKnuckle TV after prelims on YouTube.

Since his UFC departure in 2021, Sanchez has competed once in MMA. At Eagle FC 46, he put forth a competitive outing in a loss against Kevin Lee. In his most recent six MMA fights, Sanchez went 3-3 with wins over Michel Pereira, Mickey Gall, and Craig White.

Trout is a former WBA light middleweight champion with a 35-5 record. He signed with BKFC in November and is on a five-fight winning streak in professional boxing.

Shortly after the commission’s approval, BKFC announced Trout vs. Sanchez on social media. It will likely be co-main event to an already-announced Lorenzo Hunt vs. Mike Richman title fight.

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