Why not throw something at the wall and see what sticks!
The time has once again come for me to make outlandish statements, making myself look foolish in the process. But with the new year arriving my meter for public scrutiny has reset. Here are some bold claims about the sport of bare knuckle as it heads into its biggest year to date. Ranging from “Not Bold” to “What?”. Here are five bold bare knuckle predictions for the year of 2025.
Not Bold: 2025 will be bare knuckle’s biggest year to date.
Already teased in the intro, this one isn’t really surprising. BKFC took major strides in expanding its global reach in 2024. They broke ground in Spain, and just before the year ended, they announced that in 2025 they will debut in Italy. BYB, on the other hand, will have its first full year after the BKB merger, keeping their cinch on the UK market.
With their ever expanding roster and adding more and more events to their calendar, BYB will become even more of a powerhouse in the bare knuckle space. While it’s certainly not a stretch to predict this, success isn’t always steady. However, given the moves that each company has made, it only makes sense that they continue to move in the same direction.
Getting bolder - LT Nelson will be a three division champion.
Lorawnt-t “Smash” Nelson, the current two division champion of BYB Extreme at both 160-168-lbs. has told me directly on multiple occasions that he has no problem making 154-lbs. And with a new champion at 154 in Liam Rees looking to make a splash in his first title defence, it’s not crazy to think that Nelson will campaign to get that fight. Where this one gets dicey is that it puts not just one, but two divisions on ice. He also has a defence of one of his titles just days from now against an old rival, James Connelly.
So a lot needs to go right for LT. A win over Connelly, a green light from the matchmaker, and a willing champion to face him, but it’s not entirely impossible. Especially with another former opponent of his, Barrie Jones, ready to fight Gregoris Cisneros for the 175-lb title. If Jones is successful he may want the rematch with LT, except on his terms at 175. Call me crazy I don't care, my phone is probably dead.
Bold - There will be a new PFP #1 in both men and womens bare knuckle.
When looking at the current number ones, Austin Trout and Christine Ferea, it will take a lot to overtake either of them. For Trout, a way he could lose the top spot is not even with a loss, but the fact that LT Nelson, Gustavo Trujillo and Kai Stewart all stay very active. If they could put a string of impressive wins together it’s not impossible for him to be overtaken. The other way is of course Trout could lose a bout for his BKFC welterweight title and his #1 PFP moniker in the process. With all the talent at 165, it’s not entirely crazy to think Trout could have an off night.
For Ferea, she is 42 years old. Although she doesn’t fight like it (42 isn’t even that old by bare knuckle standards anyways) retirement could be looming. The greatest womens bare knuckler of all time has cleared out the division at flyweight and it’s possible that there isn’t an enticing enough matchup out there for her, which could leave one final fight before riding off into the sunset.
Ok reel it in - BKFC’s $25 Million Dollar tournament won't happen (at least in 2025)
This one is a stretch and I hope I’m wrong, but $25 Million is sooooo much money. While it’s been highly publicized as a plan for 2025, even with Saudi backing by way of Turki Alalshikh getting into the mix, is BKFC ready to gamble with that much money in the next 12 months? Again, I hope I’m wrong, but there’s a chance this can gets kicked down the road into 2026.
And all respect to David Feldman, the guy gets things done, but there have been a few wild claims we’ve yet to see like when he told me they were pushing for 70 events in 2024 and ended up just short of 50, or when his “Biggest fight in combat sports history” claim he made earlier this year failed to materialize. It’s not impossible that we get 70 events in 2025 along with the biggest fight in combat sports, but my point is that this tournament will probably happen, just not in 2025.
What? - BYB leaves the Trigon behind
Some of you may scoff at this one, and some of you might welcome it with open arms. The most interesting fighting surface in all of combat sports (yeah take that Karate Combat) is a staple of BYB Extreme. But with the company not only growing, but growing on an international scale, broadcasters who aren’t familiar with their product, or simply don’t care about what actually happens inside the three sided ring, might be hesitant to sign the dotted line dismissing it as “gimmicky”.
While I certainly don’t share that sentiment, money speaks louder than words. And if a big deal is on the table with the caveat being “we want a regular ring”, we just might see the end of the “Mighty Trigon” (please no).
Top Photo Courtesy of BYB Extreme.
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