Britain Beltran opens up about her post-fight exchange with Bec Rawlings at BKFC 26.
HOLLYWOOD, Fla. – Things between [autotag]Britain Beltran[/autotag] and Bec Rawlings remain unsettled.
Despite trading blows in their highly anticipated rematch at Friday’s BKFC 26, Beltran says the rivalry isn’t over with Rawlings. Beltran, who lost a decision to Rawlings in 2018, evened the score by defeating Rawlings in a unanimous decision.
Immediately after their flyweight contest ended, the two got into a fiery verbal exchange.
“As soon as the bell rung, sometimes after a fight you dap up, you hug, shake hands, (but) as soon as it ended she was like, ‘P*ssy,'” Beltran told MMA Junkie. “And to me, I was like, ‘Have good sportsmanship, Britain.’ But unfortunately, lesson learned, and this is a lesson I’ve learned all my life: It’s not the person that hits first, it’s the person that hits second. In school, that’s how I got suspended. In life, that’s how I got suspended. She called me something first, and I retaliated.”
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Beltran is open to a trilogy bout with Rawlings in the future and insists their issues remain unsettled.
“She called me out of name, so we still have pretty big beef, so the fight doesn’t squash it,” Beltran said. “But again, I had a split decision, one judge thought I won the first fight and I had no experience. This one was a clear decision. So again, yeah, I’m up for the rematch, but you’ll pay me twice what I did this time.”
The former title challenger hopes to get the next shot at the BKFC women’s flyweight belt. Champion Christine Ferea makes her first title defense against Taylor Starling in the main event of BKFC 28 in August.
Beltran sees the win over Rawlings as the biggest of her career. Not only does she think it sets her next in line for a title, but thinks it proved her progression in the sport.
“This win means more than any other I’ve ever had,” Beltran said. “It’s more than Paige VanZant because I was the underdog. I’ve beaten some really big obstacles, but I’ve never beaten anything that’s beaten me before. I’ve never done that, and I really needed that to show the world that not only can you beat big things, but you can beat things that have beaten you before.”
HOLLYWOOD, Fla. – Two title fights headline BKFC 26.
In the main event, BKFC lightweight champion [autotag]Luis Palomino[/autotag] moves up a weight class to challenge welterweight champ [autotag]Elvin Brito[/autotag] in an effort to become the promotion’s first two-division champion. And in the co-main event, [autotag]Uly Diaz[/autotag] and [autotag]Francesco Ricchi[/autotag] battle for the interim middleweight title.
Additionally, the two former UFC veterans are featured on the card.
[autotag]Bec Rawlings[/autotag] returns to bare-knuckle boxing to take on BKFC star [autotag]Britain Beltran[/autotag] in a women’s flyweight bout. Rawlings, a former BKFC champion, hasn’t competed in the sport since 2019. She’s 3-0 in the company.
Also, former UFC bantamweight contender [autotag]Jimmie Rivera[/autotag] makes his debut against [autotag]Howard Davis[/autotag]. It will be Rivera’s first fight since his UFC departure in August 2021.
Below are the full results of BKFC 26:
Elvin Brito vs. Luis Palomino – for the BKFC welterweight title
Uly Diaz vs. Francesco Ricchi – for the BKFC interim middleweight title
Bec Rawlings vs. Britain Beltran
Jimmie Rivera vs. Howard Davis
[autotag]Bryan Duran[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Braeden Tovey[/autotag]
[autotag]Blake Davis[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Cody Beierle[/autotag]
[autotag]Gorjan Slaveski[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Juston Stills[/autotag]
[autotag]Tyler Randall[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Cary Caprio[/autotag]
[autotag]Idrees Wasi[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Steven Townsel[/autotag]
[autotag]Freddy Masabo[/autotag] def. [autotag]Will Shutt[/autotag] via KO – Round 2, 1:21
The two title fights headlining BKFC 26 are official.
[autotag]Elvin Brito[/autotag] and [autotag]Luis Palomino[/autotag], and [autotag]Uly Diaz[/autotag] and [autotag]Francesco Ricchi[/autotag] all made weight on Thursday for their respective title bouts taking place in the main and co-main event of Friday’s BKFC 26. The event is set to go down at the HardRock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Fla.
Additionally, the two former UFC veterans that will be featured on the card also were on weight.
[autotag]Bec Rawlings[/autotag] returns to bare-knuckle boxing to take on BKFC star [autotag]Britain Beltran[/autotag] in a women’s flyweight bout. Rawlings, a former BKFC champion, hasn’t competed in the sport since 2019. She’s 3-0 in the company.
Also, former UFC bantamweight contender [autotag]Jimmie Rivera[/autotag] makes his debut against [autotag]Howard Davis[/autotag]. It will be Rivera’s first fight since his UFC departure in August 2021.
Below are the full results for the BKFC 26 official weigh-ins.
Elvin Brito (163.2) vs. Luis Palomino (164.2) – for the BKFC welterweight title
Uly Diaz (174) vs. Francesco Ricchi (175) – for the BKFC interim middleweight title
Bec Rawlings (125.6) vs. Britain Beltran (124.1)
Jimmie Rivera (145.9) vs. Howard Davis (144.7)
[autotag]Bryan Duran[/autotag] (158.9) vs. [autotag]Braeden Tovey[/autotag] (160.2)
[autotag]Blake Davis[/autotag] (179.2) vs. [autotag]Cody Beierle[/autotag] (182.5)
[autotag]Gorjan Slaveski[/autotag] (165.7) vs. [autotag]Juston Stills[/autotag] (165.4)
[autotag]Tyler Randall[/autotag] (125.4) vs. [autotag]Cary Caprio[/autotag] (125.3)
[autotag]Idrees Wasi[/autotag] (211) vs. [autotag]Steven Townsel[/autotag] (209.2)
[autotag]Will Shutt[/autotag] (145.8) vs. [autotag]Freddy Masabo[/autotag] (145.3)
Christine Ferea took care of business on Saturday to become the inaugural BKFC women’s flyweight champion.
HOLLYWOOD, Fla. – [autotag]Christine Ferea[/autotag] did it again.
The former MMA fighter turned BKFC flyweight defeated [autotag]Britain Beltran[/autotag] once again at Saturday’s BKFC: KnuckleMania 2 event. Ferea outpointed Beltran 48-47, 48-47, and 49-46 to win a unanimous decision. With the victory, Ferea is now the first-ever BKFC women’s flyweight champion.
It was a high-paced fight that showcased Ferea’s power and volume.
In the first round, Beltran effectively stayed on the outside and was able to pull off a stick-and-move strategy, often connecting on Ferea while avoiding her power.
The second round was similar in terms of strategy, but Ferea did more damage and busted open Beltran’s right eye cheek. Ferea was quick with her combinations and did plenty of damage.
From there, the momentum shifted vastly on Ferea’s favor. She managed to find her rage on Beltran and did visible damage to Beltran’s face while keeping her’s clean. The third, fourth and fifth round were strong rounds for Ferea. Her punches and combinations landed more ofter than Beltran’s and clearly did more damage.
These two left it all in the ring but Christine Ferea did more work to earn the unanimous decision and the Flyweight title.#KnuckleMania2pic.twitter.com/vj6Vp9cqO4
Ferea, 39, fought under the Invicta banner three times before making the switch to bareknuckle boxing. Her lone victory with the promotion was a third-round stoppage over UFC veteran Rachael Ostovich at Invicta FC 21 in 2017. Since changing combat sports disciplines, Ferea has found her home as she picked up her fifth victory with BKFC.
Up-to-the-minute results of BKFC: KnuckleMania 2 include:
Christine Ferea def. Britain Beltran via unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 49-46) – for vacant flyweight title
Gustavo Trujillo def. Stephen Townsel via knockout – Round 1, 1:41
Christine Vicens def. Jade Masson-Wong via TKO (doctor’s stoppage) – Round 3, 0:49
Francesco Ricchi def. Jake Bostwich via unanimous decision (48-44, 48-44, 48-44)
Check out the video highlights from the BKFC: KnuckleMania 2 weigh-ins and faceoffs from Hollywood, Fla.
HOLLYWOOD, Fla. – Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship is set to roll on Saturday after all fighters hit the scales for KnuckleMania 2.
After stepping on the scale, the fighters faced off with their opponent one final time before they step inside the ring on Saturday evening.
The event features two title fights and is headlined by [autotag]Luis Palomino[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Martin Brown[/autotag] for the lightweight championship. The co-main event will see UFC veteran [autotag]Mike Perry[/autotag] compete in bare-knuckle competition for the first time as he takes on TUF veteran [autotag]Julian Lane[/autotag]. Also, the first women’s BKFC champion will be crowned as [autotag]Britain Beltran[/autotag] faces [autotag]Christine Ferea[/autotag] for the inaugural flyweight title.
In addition, former UFC title challenger [autotag]Chad Mendes[/autotag] makes his long-awaited return to combat sports in his first bout since 2018, as he will face Joshuah “Famez” Alvarez on the main card.
The event takes place at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Fla. The main card airs live on the BKTV App at 8 p.m. ET following prelims at 6:30 p.m.
Check out the highlights in the video above.
The full lineup of BKFC: KnuckleMania 2 includes:
Champion Luis Palomino vs. Martin Brown – for lightweight title
Mike Perry vs. Julian Lane
Joshuah Alvarez vs. Chad Mendes
Britain Beltran vs. Christine Ferea – for inaugural women’s flyweight title
To some, it might seem as a surprise that Britain Beltran is challenging for the BKFC women’s flyweight title. But for her, it’s destiny.
To some, it may seem like a surprise that [autotag]Britain Beltran[/autotag] is challenging for the BKFC women’s flyweight title. But for the 32-year-old contender, it’s simply always been her destiny.
“It sounds so silly, but I really never thought I was mediocre, average,” Beltran told MMA Junkie. “I always knew that I was going to be great in this sport, and you know, this is where I was meant to be. I already had that hunger from Day 1.”
Unfortunately for Beltran (formerly Britain Hart), the driving hunger didn’t translate to immediate success. Beginning her career in traditional boxing, she picked up a couple of quick wins to start her run before sloshing through a stretch of seven bouts that saw her go just 1-3-3. She also went 0-2 in bare-knuckle competition during that time.
While she realizes that stretch doesn’t look great on paper, Beltran said it provided her with some very valuable lessons about what takes place both in and out of the ring.
“I kind of realized the politics of boxing,” Beltran said. “Like, hey, I didn’t come from money. I don’t have sponsors. I’m going to these people’s hometowns. I’m being treated as a journeyman.
“A lot of the draws and the losses I have, I mean, I know everyone says that they feel like they won, but I really feel like I won those, and I got robbed due to the politics. But in my heart, I knew that it would get better. One day I would make my performances completely convincing. The judges aren’t going to be able to rob me anymore.”
‘It was completely like love’
Britain Beltran (right) fights Paige VanZant. (Photo courtesy of BKFC)
Hart was undeterred. She had a passion and was intent on making it work. Unfortunately, she also had bills to pay, leaving her with the difficult decision of taking a break from competing and simply working to get some money in her account.
“I went back to Virginia and just went back to bartending and was like, boxing is going to have to wait because COVID is so crazy right now,’ and then that’s when I got the bare-knuckle call,” Beltran said. “It was completely like love, you know – exactly like love. When you go looking for it, you can’t find it, and then when you stop looking for it, it just pops up. It was exactly like that because I stopped – you know, I went on this crazy goose hunt trying to find where I belong. I stayed in Las Vegas for a few months. I was in Philly. I was in Florida, and then finally just after staying at rock bottom for so long, I was like, ‘I’ve just got to make money first. I can’t keep doing this to myself,’ and then the bare-knuckle fight happened. It was like on two weeks’ notice.”
At BKFC 14 in November 2020, Beltran scored a fourth-round stoppage over Randine Eckholm. That kicked off a torrid 2021 campaign that saw her go 3-0, including wins over UFC notables Paige VanZant and Pearl Gonzalez, quickly elevating Beltran from the ranks of journeyman to legit title contender.
Still, while her profile has risen along the way, Beltran isn’t completely convinced she’s necessarily been given the full amount of respect she believes she’s earned.
“I got paid,” Beltran said. “I felt so accomplished, but then on social media, it was like, ‘That girl sucks.’ You know, everyone put Paige down and was really mean to her and was like, ‘That’s why she got kicked out UFC. That’s why she’s garbage,’ so it was kind of like they were taking that away from me, like I beat a nobody when really, you know, Paige has a lot of money, a lot of backing, a lot of support. She’s at a top-notch gym. She really put all that she had into that fight. I just happened to be the better fighter, you know? Like, we both trained our asses off for that. Sometimes you’re better, and I felt like some people kind of downed me on that.
“Then with the Pearl fight, it really hurt my feelings because I was like, ‘Damn, people thought that she got robbed,’ and I went back and watched the fight. I mean, I probably watched it more than anybody – like millions of times to see, ‘What are these people looking at?’ Like, I feel like I won clear as day, so to hear people say that, you know, I was given that win is just absurd.”
For someone who started from the absolute bottom, Beltran was thrilled to put together a 4-0 mark under the BKFC banner and to take out a few recognizable names on the way. Yet she felt as though critics were minimizing her success.
“I wish somebody would give me an easy pass, but trust me, that is not the case,” Beltran said. “I felt like I earned my wins, so I guess I’d say I have a chip on my shoulder. It’s like, ‘Man, what do I got to do to be good enough for these people?’ Like, what do I have to do? Maybe winning a belt will solve all this.”
Title fight is about two things
Britain Beltran at BKFC 19. (Photo courtesy of BKFC)
Beltran will have that chance on Saturday when she faces Christine Ferea at “BKFC: KnuckleMania 2” at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. The event streams on the BKTV app, and the matchup between Beltran and Ferea has plenty of heat leading into it, with the two previously meeting back in 2019. Ferea won that fight due to a doctor’s stoppage, and she hasn’t had too many kind words about Beltran in the time since.
Beltran said there’s quite a bit more to the story that has played out behind the scenes, but she’d prefer to leave it there for the time being.
“There’s some other things that are super personal,” Beltran said. “I’m going to kind of keep them private. I’m thinking about letting them out after the fight, though, and kind of let it be known because I think it’s better that way. She thinks that she’s, you know, mentally f*cking me up, but really, it’s like, I’m over here laughing because I’m five steps ahead of her. She’s up to some things that are wild. I wish I could talk about them right now, but I don’t think it’s the right time and place.
“All the personal sh*t that me and her have gone through over the years, and a lot of people are like, ‘Oh, don’t make it personal. Don’t let it get in your head.’ But it’s like, this is something that I love and my dream and that I gave up everything for, so how is it not personal? So for me, you know, this does have two meanings. It definitely has dual meanings with this fight. It’s about the title and being respected in the fight community and my peers and just around the world, and it is also very meaningful to squash this personal beef between me and her.”
Will life change for Beltran following Saturday’s event? That certainly remains to be seen. But she believes that a victory would go a long way towards some recognition for the work she’s put in behind the scenes for years. But more than that, Beltran wants to provide an example for others who find themselves in less-than-ideal scenarios.
“People fight a lot of different battles that aren’t in the ring, whether it’s cancer, whether it’s being stuck in the system, foster care, having their children taken away, drugs, alcohol – like, fighting is so much different than what we think,” Beltran said. “Sometimes when I complain about being robbed in a boxing match, I can complain about that, but then you hear someone who says both their kids are in jail, and one’s in a rehab program, and now they are stuck being a mom to a 6-year-old again because they have to watch their grandkids. It’s like, damn, you know, that puts things in perspective that way, and so I just want to be known as inspiration as a fighter.
“People already hate on me for having mediocre skills and mediocre talent, which, I mean, that sucks that they feel that way. But hey, it’s not luck. One or two wins in a row says something, but five wins in a row? That’s more than just luck, so I’ve got skills as a fighter in the ring and outside of the ring. I just feel really loved right now, so I want to say thank you to everyone who does that because again, my story four or five years ago, that was not the case.”
