A championship TRIPLE header deserves a Bare Knuckle Nation Super Preview!
Week in and week out, BKFC provides some of the most consistently competitive events, stacked with talent. Every so often we get a card like KnuckleMania, BKFC 62, or BKFC 63 where it just knocks it out of the park. On October 12th, they’re primed to knock it out of the stratosphere.
At Marbella Arena, an open-air bullfighting ring, a championship triple-header will headline BKFC’s debut in Spain. This card isn't just top heavy either, earlier in the night, former boxing world champion Hannah Rankin will make her bare knuckle debut by taking on accomplished Muay Thai fighter Sahel Bayat.
One of the most experienced bare knucklers in the game today, James Lilley, will make his way back to the squared circle to face Felipe Maia in a bout at welterweight. Lilley started his BKFC run 3-0 before losing two straight to Luis Palomino and Franco Tenaglia. He's hoping to bounce back in a new division against Maia who’s 1-1 in BKFC.
The first head of the Cerberus that is this card will see middleweight champion David Mundell face off with former BKFC UK Champ Danny Christie.
A combined 13-2 record with 10 knockouts between the combatants all but guarantees someone is leaving in a heap, and while one fighter has to lose, it's safe to say the fans won’t.
In the co-main event, pound-for-pound number one Austin Trout will defend his welterweight title against bare knuckle veteran Rico Franco. The challenger has had a long journey through the sport of bare knuckle, once looked at as one of the best in the entire world, he was forced into a hiatus due to health issues that at times required chemotherapy. After a near two-year break, Franco would return and suffer back-to-back losses.
Upon joining the BKFC ranks shortly after, Franco resumed his winning ways, collecting three consecutive knockouts earning him another shot at glory.
On the other scratch line will stand the former boxing world champ Trout who collected his BKFC hardware by beating the top fighter in the world at the time Luis Palomino. Not only did he beat him, he lapped him, scoring a knockdown and taking a clear decision win.
One of the smoothest and most talented bare knuckle fighters ever will have his hands full with the reinvigorated Franco.
Our main event will see two undefeated contenders vie for the vacant lightweight strap.
Franco Tenaglia, competing in his home country for the first time under the BKFC banner, will look to improve to 4-0 and collect his first world championship. He is coming off a decisive win over James Lilley earlier this year that won him his European title. His opponent is Tony Soto who collected a win over Kevin Croom in October of last year and has been waiting in the weeds for his championship opportunity.
Soto holds a killer jab that he uses both as one of his best weapons and as a set-up punch. Tenaglia is the opposite, a tenacious power puncher always searching for the knockout.
Two perfect records are on the line with the ultimate prize the lightweight division has to offer and it all goes down on October 12th in Marbella, Spain.
Photo courtesy: BKFC
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