Tag: bare knuckle boxing

Shaquille O’Neal fan of bare knuckle boxing, plans to invest in sport

Shaquille O’Neal said he’s a fan of bare knuckle boxing and plans to invest in the sport.

Editor’s note: This article was originally published on USAToday.com.

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LAKELAND, Fla. — Shaquille O’Neal was more than a casual spectator at the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) event Friday night. He is an unabashed fan of the sport and told USA TODAY Sports that he plans to invest in it.

“These are the greatest, toughest athletes in the world,’’ O’Neal said from his ringside seat between bouts. “The fact that they’re not using gloves makes them the toughest athletes in the world. I think this is the future of fighting.’’

O’Neal said he most likely will invest in BKFC, the bareknuckle organization founded in 2018 by Dave Feldman. Feldman said completing the deal with O’Neal is a mostly a matter of “dotting the i’s and crossing t’s.’’

“Now we’ve got one of the most sought-after sports figures in the entire world,’’ Feldman said. “Who doesn’t know Shaq? And now he’s going to be part of this company, and it’s going to make a lot for people want to be part of the company.’’

O’Neal’s association no longer will surprise after “KnuckleMania,’’ a pay-per-view event held less than 40 miles from Raymond James Stadium, site of Super Bowl 55. After the second-to-last fight, O’Neal climbed into the ring and presented the bantamweight championship belt to Dat Nguyen, who beat Johnny Bedford for the title.

O’Neal, who was wearing camouflage, said he discovered the sport through a friend and attended his first BKFC event on Dec. 11 in Biloxi, Mississippi.

“And it was a great event,’’ O’Neal said, adding, “Because they don’t want to use the gloves, they’re fighting like a fight should be had.’’

The BKFC event Friday was held at RP Funding Center, home to the Orlando Magic’s affiliate in the NBA G League. It featured Paige VanZant, the former UFC fighter who was making her bareknuckle debut.

She lost her bout to Britain Hart by a unanimous decision.

Shaquille O’Neal fan of bare knuckle boxing, plans to invest in sport

Shaquille O’Neal said he’s a fan of bare knuckle boxing and plans to invest in the sport.

Editor’s note: This article was originally published on USAToday.com.

***

LAKELAND, Fla. — Shaquille O’Neal was more than a casual spectator at the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) event Friday night. He is an unabashed fan of the sport and told USA TODAY Sports that he plans to invest in it.

“These are the greatest, toughest athletes in the world,’’ O’Neal said from his ringside seat between bouts. “The fact that they’re not using gloves makes them the toughest athletes in the world. I think this is the future of fighting.’’

O’Neal said he most likely will invest in BKFC, the bareknuckle organization founded in 2018 by Dave Feldman. Feldman said completing the deal with O’Neal is a mostly a matter of “dotting the i’s and crossing t’s.’’

“Now we’ve got one of the most sought-after sports figures in the entire world,’’ Feldman said. “Who doesn’t know Shaq? And now he’s going to be part of this company, and it’s going to make a lot for people want to be part of the company.’’

O’Neal’s association no longer will surprise after “KnuckleMania,’’ a pay-per-view event held less than 40 miles from Raymond James Stadium, site of Super Bowl 55. After the second-to-last fight, O’Neal climbed into the ring and presented the bantamweight championship belt to Dat Nguyen, who beat Johnny Bedford for the title.

O’Neal, who was wearing camouflage, said he discovered the sport through a friend and attended his first BKFC event on Dec. 11 in Biloxi, Mississippi.

“And it was a great event,’’ O’Neal said, adding, “Because they don’t want to use the gloves, they’re fighting like a fight should be had.’’

The BKFC event Friday was held at RP Funding Center, home to the Orlando Magic’s affiliate in the NBA G League. It featured Paige VanZant, the former UFC fighter who was making her bareknuckle debut.

She lost her bout to Britain Hart by a unanimous decision.

Shaquille O’Neal fan of bare knuckle boxing, plans to invest in sport

Shaquille O’Neal said he’s a fan of bare knuckle boxing and plans to invest in the sport.

Editor’s note: This article was originally published on USAToday.com.

***

LAKELAND, Fla. — Shaquille O’Neal was more than a casual spectator at the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) event Friday night. He is an unabashed fan of the sport and told USA TODAY Sports that he plans to invest in it.

“These are the greatest, toughest athletes in the world,’’ O’Neal said from his ringside seat between bouts. “The fact that they’re not using gloves makes them the toughest athletes in the world. I think this is the future of fighting.’’

O’Neal said he most likely will invest in BKFC, the bareknuckle organization founded in 2018 by Dave Feldman. Feldman said completing the deal with O’Neal is a mostly a matter of “dotting the i’s and crossing t’s.’’

“Now we’ve got one of the most sought-after sports figures in the entire world,’’ Feldman said. “Who doesn’t know Shaq? And now he’s going to be part of this company, and it’s going to make a lot for people want to be part of the company.’’

O’Neal’s association no longer will surprise after “KnuckleMania,’’ a pay-per-view event held less than 40 miles from Raymond James Stadium, site of Super Bowl 55. After the second-to-last fight, O’Neal climbed into the ring and presented the bantamweight championship belt to Dat Nguyen, who beat Johnny Bedford for the title.

O’Neal, who was wearing camouflage, said he discovered the sport through a friend and attended his first BKFC event on Dec. 11 in Biloxi, Mississippi.

“And it was a great event,’’ O’Neal said, adding, “Because they don’t want to use the gloves, they’re fighting like a fight should be had.’’

The BKFC event Friday was held at RP Funding Center, home to the Orlando Magic’s affiliate in the NBA G League. It featured Paige VanZant, the former UFC fighter who was making her bareknuckle debut.

She lost her bout to Britain Hart by a unanimous decision.

Shaquille O’Neal fan of bare knuckle boxing, plans to invest in sport

Shaquille O’Neal said he’s a fan of bare knuckle boxing and plans to invest in the sport.

Editor’s note: This article was originally published on USAToday.com.

***

LAKELAND, Fla. — Shaquille O’Neal was more than a casual spectator at the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) event Friday night. He is an unabashed fan of the sport and told USA TODAY Sports that he plans to invest in it.

“These are the greatest, toughest athletes in the world,’’ O’Neal said from his ringside seat between bouts. “The fact that they’re not using gloves makes them the toughest athletes in the world. I think this is the future of fighting.’’

O’Neal said he most likely will invest in BKFC, the bareknuckle organization founded in 2018 by Dave Feldman. Feldman said completing the deal with O’Neal is a mostly a matter of “dotting the i’s and crossing t’s.’’

“Now we’ve got one of the most sought-after sports figures in the entire world,’’ Feldman said. “Who doesn’t know Shaq? And now he’s going to be part of this company, and it’s going to make a lot for people want to be part of the company.’’

O’Neal’s association no longer will surprise after “KnuckleMania,’’ a pay-per-view event held less than 40 miles from Raymond James Stadium, site of Super Bowl 55. After the second-to-last fight, O’Neal climbed into the ring and presented the bantamweight championship belt to Dat Nguyen, who beat Johnny Bedford for the title.

O’Neal, who was wearing camouflage, said he discovered the sport through a friend and attended his first BKFC event on Dec. 11 in Biloxi, Mississippi.

“And it was a great event,’’ O’Neal said, adding, “Because they don’t want to use the gloves, they’re fighting like a fight should be had.’’

The BKFC event Friday was held at RP Funding Center, home to the Orlando Magic’s affiliate in the NBA G League. It featured Paige VanZant, the former UFC fighter who was making her bareknuckle debut.

She lost her bout to Britain Hart by a unanimous decision.

Paulie Malignaggi open to boxing match vs. MMA fighter Jason Knight

Paulie Malignaggi is open to the idea of fighting Jason Knight, so long as it is a boxing match.

Paulie Malignaggi might come out of retirement for one more fight – if the price is right and it’s a strict boxing match.

Mixed martial artist Jason Knight challenged Malignaggi, the former two-division titleholder, to a boxing match on social media Monday. Knight was coming off a fifth-round stoppage of Artem Lobov in a bare knuckle boxing bout on Saturday promoted by Bare Knuckle Fighting Championships. Malignaggi had dropped a controversial decision to Lobov, also in a BKFC match, over the summer.

Malignaggi claimed he broke his hands in that fight and recently swore off making a return. He has had to deal with brittle hands nearly his entire career.

Cognizant of Malignaggi’s hand issues, Knight offered a different possibility.

“I know u don’t want to fight BKFC again but what would u say to a boxing fight??” Knight wrote on Instagram. “I have no prior boxing but I bet I can school you at your own game!!”

Malignaggi responded on Instagram shortly thereafter:

“Well done Jason, solid adjustments Saturday night. I have not yet seen the fight but saw (highlights) and your sense of timing and disciplined game plan was very impressive to notice. You def caught onto a few tactics from my fight and fought smarter.

“I wish my hands could survive the impact again (because) truthfully I enjoyed the experience and wouldn’t have minded facing you after your display. However I have a career history of hand problems and I cannot keep risking them or I’m gonna wind up with permanent damage to them.

“If there are interested parties that are willing to put up enough money I am not against regular boxing though where some protection for my hands is there. Maybe David (BKFC promoter) can do a card where you and I glove up but instead of a ring we can fight in the BKFC squared circle with our undercard consisting of bare knuckle fights.

“Again it’s (dependent) on the compensation. After all, we are prizefighters. Once again though, well done and congrats on an impressive display.”