Tag: BKFC 41

Mike Perry wants to ‘throw hands’ with Conor McGregor after BKFC 41 faceoff, reveals he’s free agent

Mike Perry hopes his faceoff with Conor McGregor at BKFC 41 leads to a fight between them down the line.

[autotag]Mike Perry[/autotag] hopes his faceoff with [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] at BKFC 41 leads to a fight between them down the line.

Whether that’s realistic or not remains to be seen, but Perry certainly has more freedom than McGregor with his career, because “Platinum” revealed he’s a free agent following his second-round TKO of Luke Rockhold in Saturday’s main event at 1stBank Center in Broomfield, Colo.

“What’s next for me? Conor McGregor,” Perry said at the BKFC 41 post-fight press conference following his surprise faceoff with McGregor.” He likes to box, too. We can go throw hands. He gave me a faceoff. How cool was that? That’s what’s up. I’m real humble, to be honest, because I’ve been fighting a long time. I’ve been in some ups and downs and some tough fights. Some things didn’t go my way. These guys are coming over here and fighting me at what seems to be my best attributes. I’ve got a chin, I’ve got some hands and this is bare knuckle. People don’t like getting hit with that. So whoever wants the smoke, dog.”

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Perry said he greatly enjoys his position with BKFC after moving to 3-0 under the promotion’s banner. He wants to continue to climb the ranks, but recognizes the money he commands puts the promotion in a tricky position as far as matchmaking.

With his contract complete, though, Perry seems to have the leverage in his favor.

“The fight’s got to make sense for them and the money they’re paying me,” Perry said. “The money’s got to make sense for them and make sense for me. They’re like, ‘Do you want belts or do you want money?’ Well, I want to feed my family. I gave myself a belt and man I’m putting more credit – put some respect on me and the ‘Platinum’ bareknuckle boxing belt, because dammit, I’m doing it out here. I’m up in the air because that was my last fight on contract. I’m free from everybody, but I love bareknuckle boxing.”

After getting stunned with an early shot by former UFC and Strikeforce champion Rockhold in their headlining contest, Perry stated to find his flow and create damage. He landed some big shots in the second frame, cracking Rockhold’s teeth and forcing him to bow out of the fight, resulting in the TKO stoppage.

Perry admits he was stunned by the way it unfolded, but was happy to get the win.

“I was ready for another round and I was just shocked because I was like, ‘Man, that was too easy after all that hard work,'” Perry said. “I think I was just getting into the fight, I was just digging into them body shots. He wasn’t liking them. I jabbed him once and he didn’t like it.”

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Video: Conor McGregor climbs in BKFC 41 ring, goes face-to-face with Mike Perry

Conor McGregor not only made a surprise appearance at BKFC 41, he climbed in the ring afterward to go face-to-face with Mike Perry.

“How is it that I’m just showing up here and I’ve already got the belt?”

That’s what [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] said into the microphone following the conclusion of the BKFC 41 main event.

It was an unusual scene in Broomfield, Colo., and definitely an unexpected one to many viewers when they tuned into the event Saturday at 1STBANK Center.

Following the rather brief main event, which ended when [autotag]Mike Perry[/autotag] beat Luke Rockhold by mid-round retirement, McGregor climbed in the ring in response to a request from Perry for a faceoff.

Somehow, McGregor had a BKFC title belt upon entry. He remained cordial with Perry, while also voicing his confidence in his abilities if the two fighters ever fought.

“I’d fight you,” McGregor. “I’m never retiring. I’m never retiring.”

McGregor arrived during the BKFC 41 main card and stood for much of the action – all the while slugging his whiskey, Proper No. 12.

“It’s an incredible setup here, incredible matchmaking, incredible story telling,” McGregor said after the event, his voice hoarse. “I had to come here. I flew straight away. I was not going to miss this and it did not disappoint. All these fighters that step in here are warriors and all have my respect. I’m into this game. I’m into this. I’ve already got the belt. How am I just showing up here and I’ve already got the belt? Come get it, baby. Come get the strap, baby.”

BKFC 41 results: Mike Perry cracks Luke Rockhold for second-round TKO stoppage

Luke Rockhold couldn’t continue after Mike Perry landed big punches in the main event at BKFC 41 in Colorado.

[autotag]Mike Perry [/autotag] continues to cruise in bareknuckle competition.

Perry, who entered with two fights of bareknuckle experience, welcomed former UFC middleweight champion [autotag]Luke Rockhold[/autotag] for his debut. The fight served as the main event of BKFC 41 at 1STBANK Center in Broomfield, Colo. It was intense while it lasted, but Perry stood tall with his hand raised by TKO at 1:15 of the second round.

Perry came out aggressive, keeping Rockhold on his back foot. Rockhold used his reach advantage to keep Perry out of range, and clinched when he got close enough. A punch from Perry went south pausing the fight momentarily.

When the action resumed, Rockhold landed a sharp left hand to wobble Perry. Rockhold darted in to capitalize, but Perry evaded the follow-up punches and clinched. A moment later, Perry stung Rockhold to return the favor.

The action remained intense in the second round as Perry pressed ahead. Rockhold was on his bike and tripped as he tried to circle away. Perry kept marching forward, landing hard punches. After Perry landed again, and the fighters were separated from a clinch, Rockhold indicated to referee Dan Miragliotta that he could not continue as he pointed to his bloody mouth.

It’s unclear if Rockhold sustained a structural injury, but the result is a TKO victory for Perry in the second round.

During his post-fight interview, Perry called for [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag], who was in attendance ringside, to come into the ring for a faceoff. McGregor obliged, entering the ring with a BKFC title over his shoulder.

After exchanging words with McGregor in a surprisingly respectful moment, Perry called out Donald Cerrone for a rematch from their UFC days. Perry said after he beats Cerrone, maybe he would have the chance to fight McGregor.

Perry has now won all three of his bareknuckle boxing bouts under the BKFC banner. He won his debut against Julian Lane at BKFC KnuckleMania 2 last February, and followed up with a decision win over Michael Page at BKFC 27 last August.

Rockhold was competing for the first time since his UFC exit. His final fight with the promotion was a Fight of the Night unanimous decision loss to Paulo Costa at UFC 278. The former champ decided to try out bareknuckle boxing, but couldn’t get out of the second round against Perry.

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Twitter reacts to Mike Perry’s TKO of Luke Rockhold, faceoff with Conor McGregor at BKFC 41

The combat sports world lost its mind when Conor McGregor faced off with Mike Perry after his TKO of Luke Rockhold at BKFC 41 debut.

[autotag]Mike Perry[/autotag] played spoiler to [autotag]Luke Rockhold[/autotag]’s post-UFC venture when he emerged victorious in Saturday’s BKFC 41 main event.

Perry continued to shine in the world of bare knuckle boxing when he picked up arguably the biggest win of his combat sports career with a second-round TKO of former UFC champion Rockhold in their middleweight headliner, which took place at 1stBank Center in Broomfield, Colo.

After the fight, former two-division UFC champ Conor McGregor stepped in the ring for an unexpected faceoff with Perry.

Check below for the top Twitter reactions to Perry beating Rockhold at BKFC 41.

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Mike Perry def. Luke Rockhold at BKFC 41: Best photos

Check out these photos from Mike Perry’s TKO victory over former UFC champion Luke Rockhold at BKFC 41.

Check out these photos from [autotag]Mike Perry[/autotag]’s TKO victory over former UFC champion [autotag]Luke Rockhold[/autotag] at BKFC 41, which took place at 1STBANK Center in Broomfield, Colo. (Photos courtesy of BKFC)

BKFC 41 results: Eddie Alvarez edges Chad Mendes in razor thin split decision

Former UFC lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez won a very close battle against Chad Mendes in his bareknuckle debut at BKFC 41.

Former UFC lightweight champion [autotag]Eddie Alvarez[/autotag] has added a win in bareknuckle boxing to his lengthy combat sports resume.

In the co-main event of BKFC 41, Alvarez faced former UFC featherweight title challenger [autotag]Chad Mendes[/autotag] at 1STBANK Center in Broomfield, Colo. The bout was contested at 165 pounds, and proved to be an intense bout that came down to the wire. When it was all said and done, Alvarez was declared the winner by split decision, earning two 47-46 scores, while one judge saw the fight for Mendes with the same score.

Both men darted in and out with quick punches to begin the fight. Mendes charged ahead with a left jab, and put a powerful right hand behind it. Alvarez waved his opponent in before putting punches of his own together. Mendes responded with a nice shot of his own. As the round came to an end, blood began to flow from a cut under Mendes’ right eye.

Early in the second, Mendes landed a hard left hook that sent Alvarez to the canvas. Alvarez quickly returned to his feet to face the mandatory 8 count by the referee. Mendes continued to win exchanges for the remainder of the round.

In the opening exchange of the third, Alvarez cracked Mendes with a punch, sending him to the mat. Mendes quickly popped up and appealed to the referee that he slipped, but it was ruled a knockdown. A few intense exchanges followed, but the story of this round was Alvarez evening the knockdown count.

Alvarez returned to his stool bloodied after a close fourth round. However, things got wild in the final frame.

Moving forward for the entire round, Alvarez swarmed Mendes with punches. Alvarez caught Mendes with a right uppercut followed by a left, causing Mendes to drop to the canvas. Mendes got up, and with just seconds left on the clock, Alvarez looked to finish the fight before the final bell. However, Mendes clipped Alvarez, knocking him off balance, creating a crazy scene in the final moments.

The fight would go to the scorecards, where two of the three ringside judges believed Alvarez did enough to win.

After the fight, Mendes announced his retirement from combat sports. The bout against Alvarez was his second in bareknuckle, following his debut victory over Joshuah Alvarez last February.

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Eddie Alvarez def. Chad Mendes at BKFC 41: Best photos

Check out these photos from former UFC and Bellator champion Eddie Alvarez’s split decision victory over Chad Mendes at BKFC 41.

Check out these photos from former UFC and Bellator champion [autotag]Eddie Alvarez[/autotag]’s split decision victory over [autotag]Chad Mendes[/autotag] at BKFC 41, which took place at 1STBANK Center in Broomfield, Colo. (Photos courtesy of BKFC)

Twitter reacts to Eddie Alvarez’s epic debut win at BKFC 41, Chad Mendes’ retirement

The combat sports world reacted to former UFC champ Eddie Alvarez’s thrilling win at BKFC 41 over Chad Mendes, who retired after.

[autotag]Eddie Alvarez[/autotag] added another layer to his decorated combat sports legacy on Saturday when he won his BKFC 41 debut against [autotag]Chad Mendes[/autotag].

The former UFC and Bellator champion Alvarez dove into the bare knuckle world and scored a split decision win over Mendes in the welterweight co-main event, which took place at 1stBank Center in Broomfield, Colo.

After the fight, Mendes retired from combat sports officially.

Check below for the top Twitter reactions to Alvarez beating Mendes at BKFC 41.

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BKFC 41 video: Ben Rothwell forces UFC veteran Josh Copeland’s corner to throw in towel after third

Ben Rothwell stopped fellow UFC veteran Josh Copeland after his corner threw in the towel at BKFC 41.

Former UFC heavyweight [autotag]Ben Rothwell[/autotag] continues to have success in bareknuckle boxing.

On the main card of BKFC 41 at 1STBANK Center in Broomfield, Colo., Rothwell stepped into the bareknuckle ring for the second time, to take on fellow UFC veteran Josh Copeland. Both men would leave the ring bloodied, brusied, and swollen, but it would we be Copeland’s corner that called for a stop to the bout after the third round.

Copeland had success early. He busted open a cut under Rothwell’s right eye by landing a right hand within seconds of the fight starting. The two big heavyweights traded hard punches throughout the round. The overhands from Copeland gave Rothwell trouble, but he was able to score with uppercuts and short shots in the clinch.

In the second, Rothwell found the opening he needed to drop Copeland. After beating the count, Rothwell continued to pour on the pressure as the round continued. Copeland was covered up against the ropes when the round concluded.

Rothwell continued his success in the third, but added hard punches to the body to his repertoire. Short punches in the clinch were key for Rothwell, as Copeland didn’t show urgency to escape the position, and essentially just ate damaging strikes until the round concluded.

Between rounds, Copeland’s corner saw enough and threw in the towel to prevent their fighter from taking any further damage.

During his post-fight interview, Rothwell asked the crowd if they wanted to see him take on BKFC heavyweight champion Alan Belcher. The response was loud, and Rothwell told Belcher to fight him or hand over the belt.

After exiting the UFC after 17 fights, Rothwell made his bareknuckle debut at BKFC 30 in October, where he made quick work of Bobo O’Bannon, winning by knockout in just 19 seconds.

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BKFC 41 video: Dillion Winemiller scores 7-second knockout of Matthew Maestas

One of the quickest knockouts in BKFC history occurred Saturday in Colorado – in stiffening fashion.

One of the quickest knockouts in BKFC history took place Saturday.

[autotag]Dillon Winemiller[/autotag] needed only seven seconds to send a stiffened [autotag]Matthew Maestas[/autotag] crashing to the canvas at BKFC 41. The bout took place as part of the prelims, which took place at 1STBANK Center in Broomfield, Colo., near Denver.

Referee Dan Miragliotta brought the fighters together for the start of the bout. Winemiller immediately moved forward and, with a right hand, stunned Maestas, who staggered backward. Maestas crashed into the ropes and swiftly met a brutal Winemiller combination before he hit the canvas and Miragliotta stepped in.

The quickest knockout in promotion history belongs to Uly Diaz, who knocked out Donelei Benedetto in just three seconds at BKFC 14 in November 2020.

The up-to-the-minute BKFC 41 results include:

  • Marcus Edwards def. Jay Jackson via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 2:00
  • Dillion Winemiller def. Matthew Maestas via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 0:07
  • Mitch Seybold def. Jack Willoughby via TKO (corner stoppage) – Round 1, 1:23

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