Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
Super RIZIN 3 weigh-ins included Manny Pacquiao, Tai Emery, Charisa Sigala, John Dodson, Ryan Garcia, and more.
Super RIZIN 3 takes place Sunday at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan and includes a handful of faces familiar to North American combat sports fans including [autotag]Manny Pacquiao[/autotag], [autotag]Tai Emery[/autotag], [autotag]Charisa Sigala[/autotag], and [autotag]John Dodson[/autotag].
Check out the best photos from Saturday’s official weigh-ins that included an appearance by boxing star Ryan Garcia. (Photos via RIZIN FF)
BKFC and RIZIN have already exchanged talent, with a former UFC title challenger set to make his bareknuckle debut in Japan.
Bareknuckle boxing is headed to Japan’s most prominent MMA promotion.
BKFC and RIZIN have formed a talent-share partnership with the intention of co-promoting full bareknuckle boxing cards in 2025 under a newly formed brand name. BKFC president David Feldman and RIZIN promoter Nobuyuki Sakakibara announced the news Wednesday on “The MMA Hour.”
The first talent crossovers have already been mapped out. RIZIN star [autotag]Tatsuki Shinotsuka[/autotag] (1-0) will head to the United States for BKFC Fight Night: Pechanga on July 12 in Temecula, Calif. and will face Cary Caprio (2-1). Shinotsuka partook in a RIZIN bareknuckle test run on April 26 when he defeated Justyn Martinez (0-3) in 93 seconds.
Then on July 28, BKFC will reciprocate. At Super RIZIN 3, BKFC stars [autotag]Tai Emery[/autotag] (1-1) and [autotag]Charisa Sigala[/autotag] will square off. Additionally, [autotag]John Dodson[/autotag](1-4-1), who BKFC permitted to compete in MMA bouts for RIZIN while under contract, will face an opponent TBA. The card will be a combination event, meaning MMA fights and bareknuckle fights will both be in the same lineup.
https://www.instagram.com/p/C72WVbtJdS5/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
The partnership appears to be similar to the one RIZIN and Bellator held for years prior to Bellator’s acquisition by PFL (though it remains to be seen if that partnership will be maintained in the same capacity).
Check out these photos from the fights at BKFC 29 in Great Falls, Mont.
Check out these photos from the fights at BKFC 29 at Pacific Steel & Recycling Arena in Great Falls, Mont., which featured a strawweight title fight between Britain Hart Beltran and Charisa Sigala. (Photos courtesy of BKFC)
Check out these photos from the BKFC 29 weigh-ins in Montana.
Check out these photos from the weigh-ins and fighter faceoffs for BKFC 29, which features a strawweight championship bout between Britain Hart Beltran and Charisa Sigala at Pacific Steel & Recycling Arena in Great Falls, Mont. (Photos courtesy of BKFC)
Paige VanZant’s has a name for her return at BKFC 27 in London.
[autotag]Paige VanZant[/autotag]’s opponent for her return to the ring has been revealed.
The former UFC contender now turned bareknuckle boxer is set to take on [autotag]Charisa Sigala[/autotag] at BKFC 27 in London on Aug. 20. The news was confirmed by MMA Junkie on Friday, following an initial report by MMA Fighting.
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This bout marks VanZant’s first fight of 2022. The last time the 28-year-old was seen in action was in July 2021 when she lost a unanimous decision to Rachael Ostovich in the main event of BKFC 29. VanZant is 0-2 in bareknuckle boxing.
VanZant is mainly known for her stint in the UFC where she competed for six years. She fought 11 times under the UFC banner, compiling a record of 6-5.
Meanwhile, Sigala is also a former MMA fighter turned bareknuckle boxer. The 38-year-old fought in MMA from 2015 to 2020, going 4-2. She’s 1-2-1 in bareknuckle boxing. Sigala last competed in March, fighting Angela Danzig to a draw.
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Pearl Gonzalez made her bareknuckle debut at BKFC 18 against Charisa Sigala on Saturday evening.
UFC and Invicta veteran [autotag]Pearl Gonzalez[/autotag] made her bareknuckle debut on Saturday evening against [autotag]Charisa Sigala[/autotag], and looked fantastic.
BKFC 18 took place at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Fla., airing on FITE TV.
Time for the #BKFC debut for @PearlGonzalez. She faces @bkfcsweetheart
See #BKFC18 right now on #FITE: https://t.co/ZHjUl2Df79 pic.twitter.com/DgvPX5UhiT
— FITE (@FiteTV) June 27, 2021
Gonzalez (1-0 BKFC) took control of the action from the onset by letting her hands fly early and often. Working behind a left jab, she put together frequent combinations throughout the opening round, all but shutting down any effective offense from Sigala (0-2 BKFC).
The second round was similar to the first, with Gonzalez throwing and landing frequent punches as Sigala tried to find a way to close the distance. Outside of a few single punches landed, Sigala struggled to find answers for her opponent’s pressure.
The fight continued to play out in a similar fashion over the next three rounds, as Gonzalez’s distance management proved too difficult for Sigala to overcome to put together consistent combinations to change the course of the fight.
.@PearlGonzalez is successful in her #BKFC debut by winning a unanimous decision at #BKFC18.
Order now: https://t.co/ZHjUl2Df79 pic.twitter.com/ba7QRvGc1s
— FITE (@FiteTV) June 27, 2021
The judges scored the fight unanimously in favor of Gonzalez, with identical scores of 50-45, impressing in her bareknuckle boxing debut.
“I’m not a brawler, I’m a mixed martial artist,” Gonzalez said during her post-fight interview.
“I’m learning to be a boxer and I’m gonna come in here and show technique and skill, and every f*cking day, I’m getting better. Watch the f*ck out!”
Up-to-the-minute results of BKFC 18:
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Check out the official results of Saturday’s BKFC 18 beginning at 9 p.m. ET
Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship returns on Saturday evening with an exciting lineup of fights featuring a host of former MMA competitors.
The event begins at 9 p.m. ET on FITE TV.
The main event of the evening features BKFC heavyweight champion Joey Beltran (4-1-1 BKFC) looking to record his second title defense as he faces squares up against Sam Shewmaker (4-1-1 BKFC).
The main card is filled with names familiar to MMA fans. Hector Lombard (2-0 BKFC), Joe Riggs (2-0-1 BKFC), Luis Palomino (3-0 BKFC), Thiago Alves (1-0 BKFC), Pearl Gonzalez (0-0 BKFC), and Charisa Sigala (0-1 BKFC) will all put their fists to the test with the gloves off.
Official BKFC 18 results include:
MAIN CARD (FITE TV, 9 p.m. ET)
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After stints in the UFC and Invicta, Pearl Gonzalez is taking off the gloves. Her debut opponent and date are set.
[autotag]Pearl Gonzalez[/autotag] enters her BKFC debut as part of a new promotion – and an unfamiliar combat sport.
A former UFC strawweight and Invicta FC flyweight, Gonzalez signed with BKFC in April. She’ll fight [autotag]Charisa Sigala[/autotag] at BKFC 18, which takes place June 26 at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Fla. The event streams on the BKTV app.
The promotion announced the booking Tuesday on social media.
OFFICIAL: @BKFCsweetheart Takes on @PearlGonzalez at #BKFC18 🔥🔥🔥
[ Tix & How to Watch in Bio 🎫 📺 ] pic.twitter.com/EBgMquMOcE
— Bare Knuckle FC (@bareknucklefc) June 1, 2021
Gonzalez exits MMA, at least temporarily, having lost two of her most recent three fights. She was scheduled to fight Erin Blanchfield in November but withdrew after she contracted COVID-19.
As for Sigala, she made her BKFC debut at “Knuckle Mania” in February when she lost a unanimous decision to Taylor Jenkins, in what was one of the most exciting fights of the evening.
With the addition, the BKFC 18 lineup includes:
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