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.
Bare Knuckle FC’s June event will feature a number of notables from the MMA world competing in championship fights.
Bare Knuckle FC’s June event will feature a number of notables from the MMA world competing in championship fights.
Friday, the promotion released the planned lineup for its summer event, which does not yet have an official date, but will take place in Miami.
In the main event, BKFC heavyweight champion [autotag]Joey Beltran[/autotag] looks to make his second title defense when he clashes with [autotag]Sam Shewmaker[/autotag].
The co-headliner will see former Bellator champion [autotag]Hector Lombard[/autotag] take on former UFC contender [autotag]Joe Riggs[/autotag] for the vacant middleweight title.
In the featured bout, super welterweight champion [autotag]Luis Palomino[/autotag] will seek his second title defense when he welcomes challenger [autotag]Tyler GoodJohn[/autotag].
Lastly, former UFC title challenger [autotag]Thiago Alves[/autotag] will look to claim the vacant welterweight title when he meets [autotag]Ulysses Diaz[/autotag].
Additional details about BKFC 18 are forthcoming, promotion officials told MMA Junkie, but it’s already shaping up to be one of the most loaded cards in company history.
Jan Blachowicz complicated the light heavyweight title picture at UFC Rio Rancho, and now there is no easy choice for Jon Jones’ next challenge.
Welcome to “Spinning Back Clique,” MMA Junkie’s weekly show that takes a spin through the biggest topics in mixed martial arts. In this week’s episode, “Gorgeous” George, “Goze” and John Morgan unpack the fallout from UFC on ESPN+ 25, including where things stand with the light heavyweight title picture after big outcome in the headliner.
SHOW RUNDOWN:
Suddenly, light heavyweight champion [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag] has plenty of options in front of him after UFC on ESPN+ 25, where [autotag]Jan Blachowicz[/autotag] made a statement with a first-round knockout of Corey Anderson. Was it enough for Blachowicz to assert himself as the next 205-pound challenger just one week after cries for a Jones vs. [autotag]Dominick Reyes[/autotag] rematch reached a fervent pitch?
[autotag]Diego Sanchez[/autotag] left UFC on ESPN+ 25 a winner when his opponent, Michel Pereira, landed a hard illegal knee in Round 3 that rendered Sanchez unable to continue. Sanchez, who was getting beat in the first two rounds, won by disqualification, and the result has come with heavy criticism from fans saying things like “he quit” and was “looking for a way out.” We have some thoughts on that nonsense.
Yes, [autotag]Ray Borg[/autotag] won at UFC on ESPN+ 25, but he also missed the flyweight limit by two pounds. This is the third time in the last four fights that the former 125-pound title challenger has come in heavy. What should the UFC do with Borg?
Former Bellator champion and UFC veteran [autotag]Hector Lombard[/autotag] won his debut at Bare Knuckle FC 10 over the weekend. With 10 fights under its belt, is BKFC headed in the right direction?
Not that it was ever officially made, but for all intents and purposes we lost a fight between [autotag]Jared Cannonier[/autotag] and [autotag]Darren Till[/autotag] at UFC 248. What that means is, there isn’t a legit backup to the main event between middleweight champion [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] and [autotag]Yoel Romero[/autotag]. What can the UFC do for an insurance policy?
For answers to all of those questions, watch Episode 16 of “Spinning Back Clique.”
Hector Lombard, who left the UFC on a six-fight losing streak, found success in his new fighting home.
[autotag]Hector Lombard[/autotag] is back in the winner’s circle.
The former Bellator middleweight champion didn’t have the greatest end to his run in the UFC, where he lost his last six fights.
But “Lightning” made his Bare Knuckle FC debut on Saturday night, and it paid off with a main-event victory over [autotag]David Mundell[/autotag] in the main event of BKFC 10 at the Greater Ft. Lauderdale Convention Center in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
Lombard defeated David Mundell in a cruiserweight bout via unanimous decision by scores of 49-46, 48-47, and 48-47.
“I was aggressive, and I scored the points,” Lombard said after the bout. “He was backing up the whole time, but my hat off to him. I never thought it was going to be that tough, but he put up a good fight.
“I wanted to be in bare knuckle because I wanted the experience, and now I have it,” he continued. “I’m pretty sure I have to change my gameplan and some little things, but it was an amazing experience.”
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As the two 48-47 scores indicate, the bout was competitive, and Mundell is hoping to run the fight back.
“I kept the distance really well,” said Mundell, a former Bellator competitor. “I played the better boxing game. I understand this is bare knuckle, and everybody wants to see us slug it out, and he gave more pressure. I give him props for that, but let’s run it back and see what happens.”
In the co-featured bout, former Cage Warriors featherweight champion and UFC competitor [autotag]Jim Alers[/autotag] improved to 4-0 in BKFC with a majority decision over [autotag]Kaleb Harris[/autotag] at 155 pounds. The judges’ scores were 50-44, 48-46, and 47-47.
“Our game plan was to just stay in his face,” said Alers, who scored a first-round knockdown en route to victory. “He had long range and good power. I wanted to stay close, use my clinch, not get hit by those hooks. He’s a tough (guy), though. I hit him with some hard shots, and he just kept on coming.”
Check out the highlights from BKFC 10 in the video above.
Full BFKC 10 results:
Hector Lombard def. David Mundell via unanimous decision (49-46, 48-47, 48-47)
Jim Alers def. Kaleb Harris via majority decision (47-47, 50-44, 48-46)
Luis Palamino def. Elvin Brito via unanimous decision (49-46, 50-45, 50-45)
Ulysses Diaz def. Brian Maxwell via TKO — Round 1, 1:13
Dat Nguyen def. Abdiel Valazquez via KO — Round 1, 1:51
Gustavo Trujillo def. Lorenzo Hunt via TKO — Round 1, 1:01
Francesco Ricchi def. Fred Pierce via TKO — Round 1, 1:38
Travis Thompson def. Joshua Boudreaux via TKO — Round 2, 0:15
Reggie Barnett Jr. def. Matt Murphy via TKO — Round 2, 1:46
Hector Lombard has always been one unique cat, so it might not be a surprise he had both a shove and a smile for his BKFC 10 foe.
[autotag]Hector Lombard[/autotag] managed to come off friendly and hostile at the same time during weigh-ins for Bare Knuckle FC 10.
The former Bellator middleweight champion and UFC contender weighed in and faced off with opponent [autotag]David Mundell[/autotag] on Friday ahead of their main event clash at the Broward County Convention Center in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. on Saturday night.
Lombard wasted no time letting his opponent know he means business with a light shove. But in true “Lightning” style, he followed the show with a smile and handshake for his opponent, as seen in the video above.
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The bout with Mundell marks Lombard’s BKFC debut in bare knuckle. The 42-year-old Cuban fighter was last seen in a loss to Thales Leites at UFC Sao Paulo back in 2018. Lombard was released following the defeat, as the loss put him on a six-fight skid.
Fans of violence, here’s your reminder: Hector Lombard makes his bare knuckle boxing debut on Saturday night.
Fans of violence, here’s your reminder: [autotag]Hector Lombard[/autotag] makes his bare knuckle boxing debut on Saturday night.
The former Bellator middleweight champion and Olympic judoka is featured in the cruiserweight main event of Saturday’s Bare Knuckle FC 10 event, where he takes on David Mundell at the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention Center in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The event airs on traditional pay-per-view outlets through MultiVision Media and also streams on pay-per-view via Fite TV.
On Thursday, the two combatants were featured in a press conference, where Lundell made it clear he’s not showing up just to be some opponent for Lombard to destroy.
“He’s a retired Olympian,” Mundell said. “He’s retired from MMA. Then come Saturday night, I plan on retiring him from BKFC, too.”
Never one to back down from a challenge, Lombard stood firm.
“He wants to knock me out,” Lombard said. “I know. I see the way he’s looking at me. I cannot wait. But that’s not going to happen. I’m telling you that for a fact.”
But honestly, who needs words when you fill out a sweater like Lombard?
David Mundell and Hector Lombard
The fiery Cuban is known to have a bit of a temper, leading former UFC champ Michael Bisping to once label him a “little poison dwarf.” His penultimate MMA contest ended in disqualification for knocking out C.B. Dollaway with a shot that landed after the bell. An impressive 22 of his 34 career wins came by way of knockout.
Put the man in a bare-knuckle fight at your own risk.
The Blue Corner is MMA Junkie’s blog space. We don’t take it overly serious, and neither should you. If you come complaining to us that something you read here is not hard-hitting news, expect to have the previous sentence repeated in ALL CAPS.
Four of BKFC 10’s most notable names partook in an open workout Wednesday in Miami.
BKFC 10 is approaching.
On Wednesday, the promotion held an open workout at 5th Street Gym in Miami. The workout featured four of the the Feb. 15 event’s most notable names.
UFC and Bellator veteran [autotag]Hector Lombard[/autotag] joined former WSOF title challenger [autotag]Luis Palomino[/autotag], UFC alum [autotag]Jim Alers[/autotag] and boxer-turned-MMA-fighter [autotag]Ulysses Diaz[/autotag] in hitting pads – without gloves, of course.
“This is a very important fight for me,” Lombard stated in a press release. “My future with Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship starts on Saturday, Feb. 15. I’ve already been in a lot of big fights in my career, but this is new to me, and I am excited about it.”
Lombard is expected to face David Mundell in the evening’s main event. Additional fights on the BKFC 10 card include Alers vs. Kaleb Harris, Palomino vs. Elvin Brito, and Dat Nguyen vs. Abdiel Velazquez.
Lombard has not competed in a fight since being released from the UFC in late 2018, though he has stayed active on the national grappling circuit. BKFC 10 will be Lombard’s promotional debut.
Lombard partook in Quintet Ultra in December. The American Top Team member represented Team PRIDE and went 1-0-1 at the event. In his first match of the evening, Lombard submitted Sean O’Malley, before going to a draw with Anthony Johnson in his second.
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As for Mundell (who did not partake in the open workouts), the 28-year-old Floridian has competed twice under the BKFC banner. Mundell is undefeated in bare-knuckle competition with TKO victories over Ronnie Forney and Drew Lipton.
BKFC 10 takes place Feb. 15 and streams on Fite TV from the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention Center in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Check out the BKFC 10 open workout highlights in the video above.
The BKFC 10 main event between Hector Lombard and Joe Riggs has been cancelled.
[autotag]Hector Lombard[/autotag] has a new opponent for the BKFC 10 main event after [autotag]Joe Riggs[/autotag] had to drop out.
In a Monday press release, the promotion announced a new Feb. 15 main event between Lombard, the former Bellator middleweight champion, and fellow Bellator veteran [autotag]David Mundell[/autotag].
No reason for Riggs’ withdrawal or removal from the card was revealed. In fact, the press release didn’t mention Riggs at all.
Lombard has not competed in a fight since being released from the UFC in late 2018, though he has stayed active on the national grappling circuit. BKFC 10 will be Lombard’s promotional debut.
Lombard partook in Quintet Ultra in December. The American Top Team member represented Team PRIDE and went 1-0-1 at the event. In his first match of the evening, Lombard submitted Sean O’Malley, before going to a draw with Anthony Johnson in his second.
As for Mundell, the 28-year-old Floridian has competed twice under the BKFC banner. Mundell is undefeated in bare-knuckle competition with TKO victories over Ronnie Forney and Drew Lipton.
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Per the press release, additional fights on the BKFC 10 card include ex-UFC fighter Jim Alers vs. Kaleb Harris, former WSOF title challenger Luis Palomino vs. Elvin Brito, and Dat Nguyen vs. Abdiel Velazquez.
BKFC 10 takes place at Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention Center in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. and streams on FITE TV.
Some of the most significant in-fight moments and records in UFC history have occurred and been etched in stone over the past decade.
The past decade of UFC action has seen a lot unfold, and it is arguably the most important in the organization’s history from in terms of evolution.
Only within this era have statistics truly come to the forefront. After so many years of fights, the groundwork for what’s viewed as meaningful and the history attached has finally been laid out. The athletes and techniques have evolved, too, meaning new methods of causing damage and finishing fights are attempted and pulled off with a higher rate of frequency.
That evolution is apparent in the history books, because some of the most significant moments and records in UFC history have occurred over this past decade.
Let’s dig into the archives.
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EVENT FEATS
Sajik Arena in South Korea
The UFC held 363 events in 159 difference venues across 26 countries over the past decade.
“UFC 243: Whittaker vs. Adesanya” in October 2019 had the highest announced attendance in company history at 57,127.
“UFC 205: Alvarez vs. McGregor” in November 2016 sold a largest live gate in company history at $17.7 million.
“UFC Fight Night 121: Werdum vs. Tybura” in November 2017 had the most total fight time of any event in company history at 3 hours, 4 minutes and 18 seconds.
“UFC Fight Night 55:: Rockhold vs. Bisping” in November 2014 had the least total fight time of those events at 1 hour, 3 minutes and 51 seconds.
The UFC canceled four events over the decade: UFC 151 in September 2012; UFC 176 in August 2014; UFC Fight Night 97 in October 2016 and UFC 233 in January 2019.
Michael Bisping def. Luke Rockhold at UFC 199
“UFC Fight Night 55: Rockhold vs. Bisping” and “UFC 224: Nunes vs. Pennington” in May 2018 each featured 11 stoppage results, the most for any card in company history.
“UFC on FOX 7: Henderson vs. Melendez” in April 2013, “UFC Fight Night 45: Cerrone vs. Miller” in July 2014, “UFC 199: Rockhold vs. Bisping 2,” in June 2016 and “UFC 218: Holloway vs. Aldo 2” in December 2017 each featured eight knockout results, the most of the decade.
“UFC on FUEL TV 10: Werdum vs. Nogueira” in June 2013 featured eight submission results, the most for any card in company history.
Seven events each featured 10 decision results, the most for any card in company history.
“UFC Fight Night 134: Shogun vs. Smith” in July 2018 and “UFC on ESPN 4: Dos Anjos vs. Edwards” each featured nine consecutive decision results, the longest streak on a card in company history.
“UFC Fight Night 79: Henderson vs. Masvidal” in November 2015 and “UFC 222: Cyborg vs. Kunitskaya” in March 2018 each featured five split-decision results, the most for any card in company history.
Henry Cejudo def. Marlon Moraes at UFC 238
“UFC 238: Cejudo vs. Moraes” in June 2019 featured a total of 1,818 significant strikes landed, a single-event record for the company.
“UFC 223: Khabib vs. Iaquinta” in April 2018 featured seven fighters who landed 100 or more significant strikes, a single-event record for the company.
“UFC 199: Rockhold vs. Bisping 2” in June 2016 featured 15 knockdowns, a single-event record for the company.
“UFC 189: Mendes vs. McGregor” in July 2015 was the only event in company history to feature two knockouts stemming from flying knee strikes.
“UFC 228: Woodley vs. Till” in September 2018 was the only event in company history to feature two kneebar submission results.
“UFC 217: Bisping vs. St-Pierre” in November 2017 marked the only event in history to feature three title changes.
