top of page
Writer's pictureBY COREY ERDMAN, BK NATION STAFF

BARE KNUCKLE YEAR IN REVIEW: 126-LBS.

Our Year in Review series continues with 126 pounds!


Christine Ferea

The 126-pound weight class has been a glamor division in gloved boxing for more than a century, and in terms of name value, the same can be said in the land of bare knuckle. Some of the sport’s biggest names on the men’s and women’s side of the sport reside in this territory, but the division had vastly different years depending on the organization and sex of the fighter.

In some cases it was a division at a standstill, in others, one producing action and parity.


BKFC Men’s Flyweight: Champion: John Dodson


  • Draw with Dagoberto Aguero on March 29th

  • Defeated Takaki Soya via UD on July 28


Dodson finished his fighting year with a monumental win over Takaki Soya in Japan. The fight was inserted as part of the July 28 RIZIN show in Saitama, marking the first time a BKFC fight was staged in Japan, and just the second time a bare knuckle bout took place in the country ever. One would think that with Japan’s history of combat sports, particularly those that push the envelope a little bit, that this is a sign of big things to come for the sport, and perhaps the company as well.

In terms of “conventional” outings however, Dodson competed in the United States just once, defending his BKFC flyweight title against Dagoberto Aguero. The two fought to a draw, leaving the division in park, so to speak. It was the only time the title was defended in 2024.


Contenders:


Dagoberto Aguero is the obvious No. 1 contender for Dodson’s title, even though rematches in a sport like bare knuckle with a wide open landscape of matchups aren’t always the sexiest. There are people out there, and at least one judge, who believe Aguero to be the best in the world at 126 presently.


Dan Chapman is a wildcard pick, all predicated on the belief that he could still make 126. According to BoxRec’s algorithm, he’s the best flyweight in the world, with massive weight being given to his early career wins over legends James Connelly and Sean George. Chapman made his BKFC debut in Spain in October, blowing out Mike Jurik in one round. If Indian Spice can cook down to 126 still, then this division will indeed get...spicy.


BYB Men’s Featherweight: 


Champion: Harold McQueen


- Loss via 3rd round KO to Jon Barnard


McQueen started the year oI in tremendous fashion, becoming BYB’s featherweight champion with a third-round knockout victory over Brandon Birr. But rather than stick around and defend his title, McQueen dared to be great and moved up to 135 to battle Jon Barnard in one of the year’s very best fights.


McQueen looked like he was on his way to stopping Barnard, but eventually the pace, size and punishment caught up to him, and he was stopped seemingly on pure attrition. There is no shame in losing a fight of that kind of brutality, particularly when you’ve moved up a weight class to face another elite fighter.


Contenders:


Brandon Birr is the only other featherweight presently listed on the BYB roster and the most recent title challenger, so he deserves a mention. However, Cuban-born Yampier Ramirez appears to be next in line for the BYB featherweight strap after two straight first-round knockout victories to start his bare knuckle career after a 7-0 start to his gloved career. If you’ve been following bare knuckle over the last little while, you know that when a highly- trained Cuban starts their career with a bunch of knockouts, it usually means they’re gonna become champion.


BKFC Women’s Flyweight:


Champion: Christine Ferea


Ferea closed out 2024 by putting a horrific beating on Christine Vicens on December 21st, testing the boundaries of what a ringside physician and a corner will allow as she busted Vicens’ face in every way imaginable.


Ferea is a modern great in the sport, generally regarded as the best women’s fighter in the world (even though the rival company’s champion has some thoughts on that!), and pound-for-pound one of the very best overall. Her wins over Vicens and Jade-Masson Wong this year at least put her in contention for 2024 Fighter of the Year.


Contenders:


Rosalinda Rodriguez is the name Bare Knuckle Nation suggested should be the next to challenge for Ferea’s crown this past summer, after her third-round stoppage win over

Monica Franco in March of this year. As a 14-0 gloved boxer who is presently in the WBC’s bantamweight rankings, she would represent perhaps the greatest skill test that Ferea has faced yet in her career.


The other five highest-ranked BKFC women’s flyweights? Ferea has beaten all of them. Vicens, Masson-Wong, Taylor Starling, Bec Rawlings, Britain Hart. Fights between any and all of them have been, and will continue to be exciting and worthwhile, but in terms of finding resistance for Ferea, the search will have to continue expanding.


BYB Women’s Featherweight


Champion: Helen Peralta


Peralta obliterated Monica Ann Medina in one round in July, making it look way too easy in the process. It was just the third bare knuckle appearance for Peralta, coming oI a frustrating no-contest against Lalaine Mota, which ended after a clash of heads.


Peralta’s trump card however? She is still the only woman to have defeated Christine Ferea in bare knuckle, a five-round unanimous decision win during her one-fight stint in BKFC. We don’t forsee any cross-promotional duels any time soon, but the thought of one that pits Ferea and Peralta against one another in a rematch keeps a healthy debate running nonetheless.


Contenders:


Romanian-born Maria Nitescu is technically the British minimumweight champion after her win over Sweden’s Mathilda Wilson at the O2 in Greenwich back in July. She followed that up with another points win over Robyn Wereshchuk on December 7th.


The wildcard pick here is Jaica Pavilus, who is coming off a loss to 43-year old Jackie Ayala in Leeds on October 12. However, Pavilus dominated Randine Eckholm in her bare knuckle debut, and makes a living challenging and often beating undefeated top-level pros in gloved boxing, most recently going the distance with Sammy Worthington in a bout featured on DAZN. Pavilus represents an easy-to-make fight against Peralta that would be no guarantee whatsoever for the champ.


Top Photo Courtesy of BKFC.

Comments


bottom of page