From feared street fighter to BKFC World Title challenger.
Danny Christie’s road to the bright lights of bare knuckle has seen its fair share of dark stretches. From an 18-month prison sentence to bouts with addiction, Christie has seen and been through it all. If you ask him, he’d say he’s lucky to even be alive, let alone fighting for a world title in a groundbreaking event for BKFC.
But for every bump in the road “The Bastard” has faced, self-inflicted or not, Christie’s journey has molded him into the man he is today. With some hard work, self-reflection, and luck, the Carlisle, England product has carved out a story you’d likely only see in a movie.
From an early age, 11 to be exact, combat has been at the forefront of Christie’s identity. And like many young kids in the UK, boxing became a driving influencer for the young Christie. He instantly fell in love with the sport, perhaps even too much, amassing a 13-6 record as an amateur. However, despite starting at such a young age and showing signs of promise, Christie never actually had aspirations of fighting as a professional. He liked it and it gave him confidence, but for all the wrong reasons.
At that point of Danny’s life, he was young but also rebellious. Having the skills of a fighter meant he could seemingly do whatever he pleased. Which he did. When speaking with BKFC, Christie says “I liked thieving, fighting, I liked girls.” The bravado of being a street fighter was simply too thrilling for Christie. Although it may have been fun, the lifestyle wasn’t sustainable and Christie began to pay a price.
Going out and causing trouble inevitably meant Christie would have to answer the bell. Which he was more than okay with given his knack for fighting and penchant for breaking the rules. However, that mindset would nearly cost him his life on numerous occasions. Once being shot in the back, and another where he was stabbed three times. He’s had to be airlifted to get a blood transfusion. As fearless as they come, Christie lived his life on the edge.
Photo Courtesy: BKFC
If it wasn’t due to being harassed himself, Christie would also compromise himself by picking fights, earning another prison sentence following an altercation with a rival. At this point in his life, Christie was also battling addiction. It was a dark period for Christie regardless of how he ended up in that situation. By his own doing or not, Christie was on a downward trajectory and was in need of change.
But as fate would have it, Christie’s years spent fighting on the streets of Carlisle would finally pay off in late 2021 thanks to a brutal moment of virality. In what would become known as “The Straightener”, Christie and former bare knuckler turned actor Decca Heggie met at a local gym in Manchester and fought for nearly ten non-stop minutes in a grueling brawl to settle their ongoing feud.
The bout ended with both men earning each other's respect (while bleeding profusely) and many who have seen it, claim that both men had put forth an effort worthy of a win. It’s an especially gruesome fight given the aftermath of both combatants and can still be seen online today. I can’t speak on the beef actually being settled, but what happened afterwards for “The Bastard” would be life changing.
Shortly after their tilt, the fight was uploaded online for all to see. While Christie and Heggie were nursing their wounds, hundreds of thousands of views had already accumulated for the fight. That number only continued to grow until it hit the newsfeeds of David Feldman and BKFC. Enamored with what they had just witnessed, BKFC called up Christie and offered him a contract. With BKFC planning its foray into the UK, this was perfect timing for Christie.
Just like that, at 37 years old, Danny Christie had finally found his calling. The man who loved to fight but never wanted to do it professionally, just got offered a contract from the fastest growing promotion in the world. More importantly, a man who was in need of a purpose had just found it.
It’s crazy how life can shake out sometimes. I bet if you told him what was about to happen in that gym in Manchester, he’d probably knock you out for messing with him. Jokes aside, Christie’s emergence in BKFC is nothing short of inspiring. Everyone makes mistakes, and in Christie’s case, sometimes you have to pay the price for them. Furthermore, Christie signed his first professional contract at the age of 37, becoming yet another example of why it’s never too late to find your footing.
Photo Courtesy: BKFC
It seems as though the commitment has paid off for both sides. BKFC has continued it’s upwards trajectory towards the leaders of combat sports, and Christie has accrued a 5-1 record with a BKFC UK Light Heavyweight championship to go along with it. His lone loss came to current BKFC Light Heavyweight champion Jared Warren.
Fortunately for Christie, his natural skills as a fighter have helped him move past that loss to earn another title shot, this time for the undisputed crown. And much like he did when BKFC had their groundbreaking event in London, England in 2022, Christie will feature prominently on another first time card when he takes on David Mundell for the middleweight world title in Marbella, Spain.
He may be a late bloomer, but Danny Christie was always built to fight.
Top Photo Courtesy of BKFC
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