Tag: BKFC 57

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

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.”