Two new champions are set to enter the fold at BYB 32 where two vacant titles are on the line!
On October 12th in Leeds, England, BYB 32 will see the continuation of the BYB and BK merger when they expand their roster to include a 154-pound and a 140-pound division. And what better way to kick off the divisions than with a title fight for each!
In the main event, two former BKB fighters, Scott McHugh and Liam Rees, will break ground in the super welterweight division and crown the first champion under the new BYB banner.
Hometown favorite McHugh has one of the most extensive bare-knuckle records in the game today: 12-4 with 4 KOs and multiple world championships. Rees, on the other hand, has just three fights but immediately surged to a world-class level, winning a title in his most recent bout.
Despite the low knockout ratio from both sides, both men carry significant power that translates into bare knuckle success, even if it's not a KO.
Rees is responsible defensively, with well-timed, accurate blitzes and a killer jab. McHugh also utilizes a lightning-fast jab, keeping a high guard and a high but measured pace, giving him the ability to adapt to his opponents.
Two UK fighters ready to put it all on the line, like they always do, are sure to end the night with a bang.
Photo Courtesy: BYB.
In the co-main event, BYB prospect turned contender Harry Gigliotti of Boston, Massachusetts, faces off against Belfast, Northern Ireland’s Joe Fitzpatrick. Two relatively inexperienced bare knucklers, who have a wealth of experience with gloves on.
Fitzpatrick has extensive amateur boxing experience, as well as a great pro record of 10-1. Since moving to the gloveless sport, he has adopted a kill-or-be-killed mentality, with all of his fights ending in a stoppage, whether he wins or not. Amassing a 3-1 record, the Northern Ireland product stopped Jonny Jones in one round his last time out.
Gigliotti was originally set to face Josh Oxendine in a non-title bout, but after a change in opponents to Fitzpatrick, BYB decided to place a super lightweight title on the line. And so, in just his fourth bare knuckle fight, the Boston native has a chance to call himself world champion.
Also with a boxing background, Gigliotti sticks to the fundamentals, throwing punches in meaningful combinations and using his jab for distance management. And now that he has faced a tough bare knuckle vet in Rusty Crowder, the stars could be aligning for one of BYB’s brightest young talents.
BYB has filled the card with plenty of established scrappers, including Mark Tiffin and Paul Hilz facing off in a super middleweight bout. Fan favorite Alex Wilson will look to follow up on his Knockout of the Year candidate in his last outing with another KO over the relatively unknown Matthew Morton.
The lone women’s bout of the evening will see Jaica Pavilus look to improve to 2-0 after a knockout win in her debut. She will share the trigon with the debuting pro boxer turned bare knuckler, Victoria Albons.
Top Photo Courtesy of BYB.
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