Two heavy hitters take centre stage at BYB 28.
On July 13th, in New Orleans Louisiana, USA, BYB 28 “Bourbon Street Brawl” will be headlined by heavyweight champion Ike “Hurricane” Villanueva (3-0, 3 KO’s) squaring off with the undefeated Gustavo “Cuban Assassin” Trujillo (5-0, 5 KO’s) in a clash that will be sure to test the structural integrity of the Mighty Trigon.
(Photo Courtesy: BKFC)
A former UFC fighter, the champ made his bare knuckle debut in September of 2023 at BYB 20, winning by first round knockout. He would return three months later at BYB 22 and collect another first round stop with a massive overhand right. That performance would earn him his shot at then-champion DJ Linderman. An absolute war would see Hurricane end Linderman's reign with a fourth round knockout.
But as the adage goes, you aren’t the champ until you defend it, and in his first defense, he has quite the mountain to climb in the form of the challenger Trujillo.
The Cuban Assassin made his bare knuckle debut in 2019 and needed just 35 seconds to score a knockout. He would go 4-0, all first round knockouts under the BKFC banner, including a win over future two division champion Lorenzo Hunt.
Despite the hot start, he took time away from the sport to pursue professional boxing where he would go 6-0. When he returned to the sport, he joined the BYB roster and made his debut in April of 2024. Once again, he won by first round knockout and earned a shot at the title.
This fight will be a colossal clash between two of the best that BYB has to offer. Villanueva uses active hands and intelligent offense to get the job done, applying great accuracy and picking his spots well, while still carrying power in both hands.
(Photo Courtesy: BKFC)
Trujillo on the other hand also carries immense power and despite his quick results he doesn't just blindly blitz forward throwing wild shots. He has great mechanics and every shot seems to put guys away.
Where the champ will have the advantage is activity and bare knuckle experience. This will be his fourth fight in nine months, with one of them stretching until the fourth round. While Trujillo has just one fight since 2022 and has never seen a second round. The longer the fight goes the more unfamiliar he will be.
Besides the physical side of having more rounds under your belt, there's the psychology of it too. Obviously Villanueva will be aware of the first round streak but will he be cautious? Or eager to make a statement of his own? And what if Trujillo hits Villanueva with everything he has and the champ’s still standing into the second, third, or fourth round? Will that break his spirit? Or inspire him to put on a performance of a lifetime?
All questions will be answered on July 13th at BYB 28 for the heavyweight championship!
Top Photo Courtesy of BYB
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