Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
Check out these photos from the BKFC 31 weigh-ins in Denver.
Check out these photos from the official weigh-ins and fighter faceoffs for BKFC 31, which takes place at 1st Bank Center in Denver. (Photos courtesy of BKFC)
For the second consecutive time, Bare Knuckle FC’s attempt at booking former UFC fighter Melvin Guillard has been blocked.
For the second consecutive time, Bare Knuckle FC’s attempt at booking former UFC fighter [autotag]Melvin Guillard[/autotag] has been blocked.
The Colorado Combative Sports Commission said Thursday that it won’t allow Guillard to compete after BKFC had announced his return against promotional newcomer [autotag]Evgeny Kurdanov[/autotag] for BKFC 31 on Oct. 15 at 1st Bank Center in Broomfield, Colo.
“Mr. Guillard is not currently licensed in Colorado and the Oct. 15 bout will not take place as scheduled,” the commission said in a statement to MMA Junkie.
In a prior statement to MyMMANews, the commission said, “We value the safety of all athletes in Colorado and after further research have decided to disallow this fight.”
Colorado’s decision comes eight months after Guillard, 39, was pulled from a Feb. 19 fight booking vs. Ulysses Diaz. In that instance, the Florida Commission, in conjunction with the Association of Boxing Commissions and Combative Sports (ABC), intervened to stop Guillard from competing.
The ABC also cited Guillard’s health as the reason why.
“After doing due diligence, the executive director Patrick Cunningham found a serious concern with the health of Melvin Guillard,” ABC said in a statement then. The association also placed Guillard on suspension pending a neurological exam.
Guillard is on a seven-fight losing streak combined between MMA and bare-knuckle and has lost 14 of his past 15 fights. He’s 0-4 in BKFC after most recently losing to Joe Riggs by knockout in 59 seconds at BKFC Fight Night: Montana in October 2021.
With the change, the full BKFC 31 lineup includes:
The previous time BKFC tried to book former UFC fighter Melvin Guillard, the Association of Boxing Commissions (ABC) intervened.
Former UFC fighter [autotag]Melvin Guillard[/autotag] has his next bareknuckle boxing match on the books.
At BKFC 31 on Oct. 15, Guillard (2-6) will return against promotional newcomer [autotag]Evgeny Kurdanov[/autotag] (4-0), the promotion recently announced. The event takes place at 1st Bank Center in Broomfield, Colo., and streams on Bare Knuckle TV.
Guillard, 39, looks to snap a seven-fight losing skid across multiple combat sports in hopes of picking up his first BKFC victory. He most recently competed at BKFC Fight Night: Montana in October 2021.
Shortly thereafter, Guillard was booked to compete Feb. 19 vs. Ulysses Diaz. However, the Florida Athletic Commission, in conjunction with the Association of Boxing Commissions and Combative Sports (ABC), intervened to disallow Guillard from competing.
“After doing due diligence, the executive director Patrick Cunningham found a serious concern with the health of Melvin Guillard,” a statement issued by the ABC read. The association also placed Guillard on suspension pending a neurological exam.
"The Sailor" Evgeny @kurdanov will make his BKFC debut against Melvin Guillard at BKFC 31! https://t.co/HLL6nJaKgl pic.twitter.com/dIE9zr3BgZ
— Bare Knuckle FC (@bareknucklefc) October 6, 2022
According to MixedMartialArts.com, the official ABC database, Guillard no longer is under suspension. An ABC official didn’t immediately clarify why Guillard’s status was changed when reached by MMA Junkie.
Guillard enters his first combat sports competition in a year against Kurdanov, a 1-1 MMA pro who lists a 4-0 bareknuckle record on his social media pages, including an Instagram account with 170,000 followers.
With the addition, the full BKFC 31 lineup includes:
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