With bare knuckle’s rapid ascension through the combat sports ranks, Cuba has emerged as a potential hotbed for talent in the revived sport.
Bantamweight contender Alberto Blas (right) will take on champion Keith Richardson on June 21st at BKFC 62. (Photo Courtesy: BKFC)
The comeback story that is bare knuckle fighting needs to be examined.
In an era where prize fighting is taking center stage by way of influencer-on-influencer violence and nostalgia traps, the concept of bare knuckle has scratched and clawed its way to the forefront of the combat sports world…again.
Except this time, Cuba seems primed to lead the ascension of the once ostracized sport.
You see, bare knuckle wasn’t always the ugly stepchild of the combat sports family. In fact, it was the first-born.
Bare knuckle originated in 17th century England, where fighters fought under the Broughton Rules and London Prize Ring Rules. These rulesets were revised over time and eventually became the Marquess of Queensberry rules, which served as the basis for traditional boxing as we know it today.
With that, a more commercially appealing, and safer, alternative was born. The newborn if you will.
The emergence of boxing effectively ended any desire for a bare knuckle fight. It was seen as barbaric and far more dangerous. Technique was secondary to toughness, which meant the talent pool was restricted to the rugged “tough guys”. Only the ones brave enough to try it out.
In other words, there just wasn’t anyone interested.
And because of that, bare knuckle fighting wasn’t really a thing for over a century…..street fighting aside (RIP Kimbo Slice).
That is until now, where the thirst for bare knuckle fighting has been tapped into once again. This time spearheaded by BKFC, who have been on a mission to re-establish bare knuckle fighting since 2018.
New stars, familiar faces, and endless violence have been the perfect storm for bare knuckle’s resurgence. But an apparent ace in BKFC’s sleeve could take this rocketship to another level.
England and America have served as the historical hotspots for bare knuckle. And while promotions are attempting to tap into newer markets such as Thailand, Mexico, Bulgaria, and Canada. It’s Cuba who has positioned itself as a key spoke in the wheel that is bare knuckle.
In BKFC alone, three Cuban contenders have kicked (or punched) the door down on the promotion upon their respective debuts. Alberto Blas (4-0, 4 KO’s) will fight for the BKFC Bantamweight World Championship on June 21st against champion Keith Richardson (4-0, 3 KO’s).
(Photo Courtesy: BKFC)
Headlining that same card, Bryan Duran (6-0, 6 KOs) takes on champion Kai Stewart (5-0, 2 KO’s) for the featherweight world title. And kicking it all off will be heavyweight prospect Leonardo Perdomo (3-0, 3 KO’s) who takes on Steven Banks (3-1, 3 KO’s).
All three of Duran, Blas, and Perdomo made their debuts within the last two years. In addition, they’ve finished all of their opponents. It certainly hasn’t gone unnoticed either. Both Blas and Duran are already competing for world titles, with Perdomo not far behind them.
And that’s just BKFC. On July 13th, BYB Extreme will pit fellow Cuban Gustavo Trujillo (5-0, 5 KO’s) against heavyweight champion Ike Villanueva (3-0, 3 KO’s) in yet another title fight for Cuba.
There’s still work to be done, but the sudden prevalence of Cuban talent coinciding with bare knuckle’s second act is something to keep an eye on.
It’s no secret Cuba has a rich history in combat sports. Just look at any Olympic boxing class and you’ll see Cuba is among the most dominant. In addition, their wrestling program has seen its fair share of success as well.
However, bare knuckle is a whole ‘nother ball game. A ball game that some are still trying to figure out. After all, that’s the nature of this sport. At some point in their respective journeys, all of these fighters were faced with a crossroads. Subsequently being forced to learn on the fly. Adapt or fall behind as they say.
But one thing is for certain, Cuba’s success within bare knuckle is no mistake. Generations of excellence in amateur boxing has proven this. In addition, a 2022 ruling now allows Cuban fighters to pursue their professional goals without having to defect.
This is likely just the beginning.
As bare knuckle fighting continues its rise, Cuba will be a force to be reckoned with.
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