The US bare knuckle promotion has just acquired the UK based promotion.
Breaking news in the bare knuckle scene!
Official press release below.
For Immediate Release: May 8, 2024
Contact: Don Povia
EMBARGOED UNTIL MAY 8, 7 AM ET
BREAKING: BYB Extreme Bare Knuckle Fighting Series Acquires
UK-Based BKBTM
The groundbreaking US bare knuckle organization based out of Miami, Florida has acquired the oldest, active bare knuckle company in the world, making BYB the largest company in terms of roster, library and global reach in the bare knuckle space.
Miami, Florida – BYB Extreme Bare Knuckle Fighting Series Owner and President Mike Vazquez announced today that the company has acquired London-based BKB, the world’s first professional bare knuckle boxing promotion, who has successfully promoted forty bare knuckle events which are broadcast in over thirty-five different countries with millions of fans and viewers worldwide.
As bare knuckle continues to grow in popularity, and sponsorship of live programming in sports remain at a premium, John Bryan, a pioneering leader with expertise in media distribution and with more than 20 years working at MGM, Disney and Warner Brothers and who is leading BYB’s broadcast and streaming partnership efforts, notes:
“The future is now. Major consumer brands and mainstream broadcasters and streaming services are quickly recognizing the untapped value of bare knuckle fighting and its inevitable impact on the market. BYB pioneered the sport and, having put together a sustainable roadmap for both the organization and the sport’s international growth, BYB has just accelerated this entire process by instantly increasing not only its live show output, but also its sponsored content library.”
Formed in 2015 by Jim Freeman and Joe Smith-Brown, BKB regularly sells out the Liverpool Echo Arena and London’s Indigo at the O2, has hosted international fights in Phuket, Thailand, boasts a roster of over 175 international fighters - including some of the best bare knuckle fighters in the world including Ireland’s Jimmy Sweeney, Croatia’s Marko Martinjak and Wales’ Barrie Jones and Dan Chapman, and was the first bare knuckle company in the world to professionalize the sport in the modern era.
Both Freeman and Smith-Brown will stay with BYB in an executive capacity, as Freeman will continue to handle day-to-day operations for BYB in Europe, and Smith-Brown will also stay on with BYB to oversee continued European expansion.
Said Vazquez:
“This is an unprecedented tipping point in mainstream bare knuckle fighting globally. Since the inception of both companies, we’ve maintained and developed a working relationship with BKB that has showcased cross-promotional fights since 2021, giving fans what they truly want and deserve: the best fighters in the world, taking the gloves off and facing one another in the oldest and purest form of combat sports. This acquisition was a natural next step in becoming the biggest, baddest bare knuckle company in the world, with the largest international footprint and over 250 fighters from six continents and over two dozen countries, not to mention broadcasting on numerous platforms, globally, and to millions of people.”
The announcement comes on the heels of BYB CEO Gregory Bloom’s February announcement of BYB’s broadcast expansion, airing live on Fuse, the Latino-owned, global entertainment company available through cable TV or satellite providers, as well as through Sling TV, Fubo TV and AT&T TV Now; on Fight Network, the world’s premier combat sports network, available on cable, satellite and telco systems across the U.S., Canada, Europe, Africa and the Caribbean, as well as Roku and Apple TV devices across North America; and on BeIN SPORTS XTRA and BeIN SPORTS XTRA en Espanol.
Said Bloom:
“Make no mistake, BYB and bare knuckle fighting is taking over the combat sports world, with a trajectory not much different than the UFC and MMA were on twenty years ago. BYB has positioned itself as the far-and-away leader in advancing the sport of bare knuckle fighting both domestically and internationally. We have come a long way since Dada 5000’s backyard, but we’ve grown strategically, maintaining full control of the product, its ownership and its intellectual property, and have continued to uphold the highest standards of professionalism. We have a brand ready-made for mass consumption, and the addition of BKB exponentially strengthens our product, worldwide, as bare knuckle goes mainstream.”
Said Smith-Brown:
“Over the past decade, we’ve had the pleasure of growing alongside BYB, and in doing so are proud to have paved the way for bare knuckle to grow throughout Europe and the World. BKB has been instrumental in ushering the fastest-growing combat sport on the planet to meet its growing international demand. We are proud to have created one of the world’s leading combat sports companies, and the acquisition by BYB is evidence of that. From here, the sky's the limit. There’s now no better place or bigger stage than BYB for fighters and fans alike in the bare knuckle arena.”
Originating in South Florida with backyard legend Dada 5000, whose backyard fights gained worldwide popularity online, BYB was founded to harness the excitement of bare knuckle into a more structured product for a broader, more mainstream audience. Since 2015, BYB has worked diligently to grow the reach of bare knuckle on both a domestic and international level, hosting events in Wyoming, Mississippi, Florida, South Carolina, Colorado, London, and Dubai, and is continuing to work with athletic commissions throughout the United States globally to expand the fanbase growing sport of bare knuckle.
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