Tag: david feldman

BKFC president David Feldman sees Conor McGregor as perfect partner: ‘He’s got phenomenal business acumen’

To say David Feldman is excited about Conor McGregor’s ownership in BKFC would be an understatement.

[autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] recently made big news but outside the octagon.

The UFC superstar was back in the headlines after he reveled that he’s invested in BKFC, making him a part owner in the leading bareknuckle boxing promotion. BKFC president [autotag]David Feldman[/autotag] is excited to partner up with McGregor but not only because of the extra funding. Feldman expects – and wants – McGregor to be hands-on in the business, which is why it makes him the perfect partner for BKFC.

“There’s a lot of people throwing money in the combat sports landscape right now, (but) the money isn’t the hardest thing to come by. It’s getting the right partnership,” Feldman told MMA Junkie. “We didn’t want just a money partnership with Conor McGregor because that doesn’t make sense. We want input, we want his persona, we want him to blow it up and do the things that he does.

“He’s got great ideas. He’s got phenomenal business acumen. Look, the guy has built a lot of stuff around his career and what he’s done, so we don’t want him to be quiet. We want to make as much noise as possible.”

Beyond his ideas and business skills, Feldman is also excited to have McGregor on board due to his influence in the combat sports world. He believes BKFC now being attached to the McGregor name will open many doors for the promotion.

“There’s a lot of things out there in sponsorships, TV deals, and different types of investments and different places to do fights, and I think all of those things, Conor lends a big hand in,” Feldman said. “Just his name and how he talks about the sport and how much he likes it and where he thinks this sport is going to go, it’s only a big plus for us.

“When I think down the road, where do I see this? I’ve said this for a long time, but I think we have a strong case to be the No. 2 combat sports promotion in the world, and I think this solidifies that.”

McGregor’s involvement in BKFC came out of left field for many, including Feldman, given that he’s still an active fighter signed to the UFC.

“It was never something that we were thinking about until it came up,” Feldman said. “We were obviously a little hesitant on it because he’s a UFC guy, he’s their fighter, and he has fights left with them, and he has a great relationship with Dana and the entire team and just had to figure out how it could work. We figured out how it could work.

“A lot of people have been talking about this lately, but we don’t consider ourselves competition to the UFC, and I don’t think the UFC sees us as competition. Not even on our scale but on our sport. I just think we created our own lane. We obviously sometimes compete for the same fighters at times, but at the end of the day, we’re just a whole different product than they are.”

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Video: Lorenzo Hunt, Mike Richman brawl, destroy stage during KnuckleMania 3 press conference

All hell broke loose between Lorenzo Hunt, Mike Richman at a BKFC press conference.

[autotag]Lorenzo Hunt[/autotag] and [autotag]Mike Richman[/autotag] are already getting hands on each other before their BKFC championship bout.

The two got into a full-on brawl at Thursday’s pre-fight press conference promoting KnuckleMania 3. After a few verbal back-and-forths, Hunt and Richman got up from their seats, and went at each other.

BKFC present [autotag]David Feldman[/autotag] and the security present tried their best to stop the brawl, but they were still able to lock horns and trade a few strikes. Hunt and Richman even fell off stage, knocking down the dais behind them.

You can watch their full brawl in the video above.

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Hunt and Richman are set to compete in a light heavyweight title unification bout. The contest will serve as the main event for BKFC KnuckleMania 3, which will be held in Albuquerque, N.M. on Feb. 17.

Hunt has been one of the most successful fighters in BKFC, winning titles across two different divisions. Hunt has picked up victories over notable names such as Hector Lombard, Joe Riggs and Quentin Henry.

On the other hand, Richman, a former Bellator featherweight and bantamweight fighter, has put together a 4-0 record since joining the BKFC roster. Richman won the BKFC interim light heavyweight title with a knockout win over Isaac Doolittle this past October. He also holds bareknuckle boxing wins over former MMA fighters David Rickels and Dakota Cochrane.

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VIDEO: BKFC president David Feldman takes down fighter to help break up brawl after DQ stoppage

Watch Bare Knuckle FC president David Feldman spring into action the moment all hell broke loose at BKFC 32 in Orlando.

Bare Knuckle FC president [autotag]David Feldman[/autotag] doubled as security Saturday night.

After a brawl erupted in the ring at BKFC 32 in Olando, Fla., Feldman jumped in the ring and pinned down a fighter to help get the situation under control. The melee began after Jack Grady was disqualified for a pair of intentional headbutts. His opponent, Ryan Reber, celebrated the disqualification by giving two middle fingers to Grady, and that’s when all hell broke loose.

It was a wild scene that fortunately was quickly contained with help of the BKFC boss.

You can watch the brawl and Feldman’s involvement in the videos below:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CkngIyFjpDQ/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y%3D

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BKFC 27 press conference and faceoffs: Best photos from London

Check out these photos from the BKFC 27 pre-fight press conference in London.

Check out these photos from the BKFC 27 pre-fight press conference in London. (Photos courtesy of BKFC)

BKFC president David Feldman opens up on making Michael Page vs. Mike Perry, working with Bellator

David Feldman says he’s all about getting eye balls on BKFC – and Michael Page vs. Mike Perry is certainly one way to do it.

In just a few weeks, Bare Knuckle FC will host one of the most important events in the company’s short history, headlined also by one of their biggest fights.

On Aug. 20, [autotag]Mike Perry[/autotag] and [autotag]Michael Page[/autotag] will thrown down in a middleweight bout that serves as top billing of BKFC 27, the promotion’s first event in London. This matchup pits a former UFC star in Perry, who signed with BKFC in late 2021, against a current Bellator title contender in Page.

This is the first BKFC-Bellator crossover fight as MVP is still under contract with Bellator but was given permission to partake in this bout that was made out of nowhere.

“It wasn’t something that we set out and said, ‘Let’s do Mike Perry vs. MVP,'” BKFC president [autotag]David Feldman[/autotag] told MMA Junkie Radio. “It was we had another main event at Wembley, and that fell through. I actually had the whole card built and said, ‘Man, we don’t have a main event now.’

“I had Mike Perry fighting in Florida. So instead of that, I pulled Mike Perry and said let’s have Mike Perry over here, and who could we get him against? And actually David Haye, former boxing world champion, said, ‘Let me talk to MVP and see if he can do it.’ And I said, ‘Of course, let’s do it, but I don’t think Bellator would ever allow that.’

“At the time we got the first conversation with Bellator done, I think it was like seven or 10 days, so it really wasn’t a long journey. It was very easy, and Mike Kogan made it very easy for us to get this job done, so thanks to Mike.”

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Feldman is excited for the matchup and believes it will do well for the company given Page’s popularity in MMA, especially with the European audience.

Feldman is open to keep a working relationship with Bellator, as well as keep the doors open for other promotions. And not just to bring fighters over into the bare-knuckle boxing world but also the other way aorund.

“I’m in a spot where I just want eyeballs on us,” Feldman said. “I want people talking about us and seeing it for the first time, because if they watch it for the first time, chances are they’re going to become a fan of the sport.

“With that being said, I can do an MVP for one fight and let him go back to Bellator, and it doesn’t hurt me. It just helps me. I don’t mind it. I just use somebody for one fight, or I share them for one fight, however you want to call it, and then they go back to another organization.

“So that’s something that we will always do. And, yes, I think if one of my fighters could fight for Bellator or the UFC or one of the big organizations out there, and get their fans to start seeing my guys, and then they follow them back to bareknuckle, it just works. But I can see that it doesn’t work for every promotion in the world.”

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BKFC president David Feldman on signing former UFC heavyweight Ben Rothwell: ‘He’s exactly what we want’

David Feldman, BKFC president, discusses the signing of former UFC heavyweight Ben Rothwell.

[autotag]David Feldman[/autotag] is excited about BKFC’s latest addition to its roster.

The BKFC president is happy to have signed long-time UFC heavyweight Ben Rothwell to the promotion. Rothwell recently parted ways with the UFC after he asked for his release from his contract in March. He had one fight left on his UFC deal.

Feldman finds Rothwell, who was a staple of the UFC’s heavyweight division for over a decade, a perfect match for bare-knuckle boxing.

“We knew that he was going to become available in the next fight after that, so that fight never happened and he became available – it was a perfect time to grab him,” Feldman told MMA Junkie. “He’s a guy that displays everything we need with bare-knuckle and he wants to stand there and bang.

“He’s a good grappler as well, but he likes to fight. He’s got heavy hands and he’s exactly what we want. He’s either guy that’s going to knock someone out or get knocked out and that’s exactly what BKFC is all about.”

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Feldman told MMA Junkie fans can expect Rothwell to debut sometime late in the summer. There’s no opponent set for Rothwell, but there are some new heavyweight signings that could serve as his first fight.

“We’re actually making three other major heavyweight signings this week,” Feldman said. “I can’t dump them yet because contracts are not signed, but one is a former boxing world title challenger – multiple times, another is a former UFC guy, and one just hasn’t been around for three years, another former UFC guy.

“But I think all four of these guys are going to make an impact on the heavyweight division. But we’re looking at a July, August time frame for Ben. That’s when he’s going to fight. We do not have an opponent for him yet, but hopefully, it’s one of these new signings we’re getting.”

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David Feldman announces Triller’s majority stake acquisition of Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship

Founder of the bareknuckle promotion announced Triller has acquired a majority of the company.

Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship has a new majority stakeholder.

On Wednesday, the founder of the promotion,[autotag] David Feldman[/autotag], announced Triller, a social media company that has expanded into the promotion of boxing and other combat sports events, has acquired a majority stake of BKFC.

BKFC was founded in 2018, bringing sanctioned bareknuckle boxing events to the United States for the first time since the late 1800s. The popularity of the promotion has attracted many notable combat sports athletes who made their names in traditional boxing and mixed martial arts. A number of UFC veterans have tested their skills under the BKFC banner including [autotag]Mike Perry[/autotag], [autotag]Chad Mendes[/autotag], [autotag]Artem Lobov[/autotag], [autotag]Bec Rawlings[/autotag], [autotag]Paige VanZant[/autotag], [autotag]Rachael Ostovich[/autotag], and many others.

“We got to a point where we’re pretty well accepted among the combat sports community right now, and we needed to make a partnership that was going to take us to the next level,” Feldman said on The MMA Hour. “Create more opportunities, more resources, more funding, more things like that to acquire some more fighters, take care of the fighters that are already there, and just create more opportunities for everybody.”

Feldman stated the combat sport is currently legal in 14 states, with the goal of reaching 22 by the end of 2022. He continued to explain how the acquisition by Triller will not change how BKFC events are currently promoted, nor cause a change in broadcasting plans.

“Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship will remain as-is,” Feldman stated. “We will be self-sustained as far as operations continue, the fighters, everything. Nothing is really going to change in the operations of Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship, we’re now just going to have more assets, more resources, and more possibilities.”

Triller has hosted a number of boxing events and special rules combat sports events like Triad Combat since entering the fight game in 2020. The company promoted pay-per-view events featuring legends of boxing and MMA, creating matchups such as Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones Jr. and [autotag]Vitor Belfort[/autotag] vs. Evander Holyfield.

Triller’s first Triad Combat event, which pitted teams of MMA fighters against boxers with special rules inside a triangular boxing ring, was headlined by former UFC champion [autotag]Frank Mir[/autotag] against boxing’s Kubrat Pulev.

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BKFC has ‘really good things planned’ for Paige VanZant, but next fight could be her last

BKFC president David Feldman expects Paige VanZant to return by this summer, and a lot could be riding on that fight.

HOLLYWOOD, Fla. – It looks like [autotag]Paige VanZant[/autotag] will give bareknuckle boxing another go.

The former UFC star is targeting a return to the ring in the coming months, according to BKFC president [autotag]David Feldman[/autotag]. VanZant was most recently seen in action in July 2021 at BKFC 19, where she lost a unanimous decision to fellow former UFC fighter Rachael Ostovich.

The loss to Ostovich marked her second straight defeat since leaving the UFC. The loss left many fans wondering if VanZant would return to the ring again, but Feldman said she’ll be back.

“She’ll definitely be back in late spring, early summer. One hundred percent, Paige will be back,” Feldman told MMA Junkie. “We have some really good things planned for her.

“The thing about Paige VanZant is that she didn’t win either fight, but she came to fight and she fought her ass off both times. She did really well. She didn’t take a backwards step. And look, it’s a different sport. She’s learning it. So for her to want to fight again in bareknuckle after taking two losses, you have to take your hat off to the girl. I look forward to her comeback.”

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Feldman knows VanZant’s bareknuckle boxing career could be in jeopardy in a return since she’s currently winless in the sport. However, the BKFC president remains optimistic on the 27-year-old’s upside.

“If she wins this fight, then she has a future,” Feldman said. “If she loses this fight, she’s probably not going to want to do this, either, and we’ll part ways amicably. But I don’t expect that to happen. I think she’s learned this craft, and she has a lot of tenacity. I do expect her to perform even better this time.”

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BKFC’s David Feldman would host Hector Lombard vs. Tyron Woodley ‘in a heartbeat’

David Feldman interested in booking Hector Lombard vs. Tyron Woodley in BKFC.

[autotag]David Feldman[/autotag] is all in on a potential fight between Hector Lombard and Tyron Woodley.

The Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship president is interested in having former UFC champion Woodley come over to the bareknuckle boxing world to challenge Lombard, who currently holds the BKFC cruiserweight title.

Interest in the fight sparked after Lombard was caught on video confronting Woodley over a personal beef at BKFC 19 in Tampa, Fla., in July. Feldman was forced to intervene and diffuse the confrontation. The video ended with Lombard asking Feldman to set up a fight with Woodley.

“I don’t know how it really started.” Feldman recently told MMA Junkie Radio. “I just went over there and I thought they were just talking, and it got a little heated. So I walked over and said, ‘You guys are professionals. You can’t do it here,’ and they walked away.

“I heard they had a history and beef in the past, so would I welcome that to Bare Knuckle Championship? In a heartbeat. We’ll see what happens to Tyron Woodley when he fights Jake Paul and we’ll go from there. But I would love to have that fight here. It would be a tremendous fight. A lot of media would cover that, I imagine.”

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Woodley has an upcoming boxing bout against YouTube star Jake Paul on Aug. 29 in Cleveland. It’s his first fight since leaving the UFC in March. The 39-year-old last won a fight in 2018 when he submitted Darren Till to defend the UFC welterweight title.

Lombard has gone 3-0 since he left the UFC and signed with BKFC. The former Bellator champion defeated Joe Riggs in June to win the inaugural BKFC cruiserweight title.

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