Three recent bare knuckle fights that will have you hooked on the sport.
(Photo Courtesy: BKFC)
Bare knuckle isn’t for the faint of heart, but for those who like the idea but don't know where to start, here's a list (with a touch of recency bias) of some of my personal favourites that will teach you exactly what bare knuckle fighting is all about.
This one is a literal sanctioned car accident. From the opening bell Riggs was all over Angulo like a cat on a mouse, landing an absurd onslaught of punches hurting Angulo multiple times. But the former boxing champion wasn’t going down without a fight, and towards the end of the round, began to fire back with some punches of his own. After finally having a split second of space, Angulo fired a missile of a right hand and put Riggs out, winning his debut in ridiculous fashion.
(Photo Courtesy: BKFC)
Eddie Alvarez (1-1) vs Chad Mendes (1-1, 1 KO): BKFC 41
While the first fight on this list was like jumping head first into shark infested waters, this one is more like running a marathon through a pack of hyenas with a package of bacon in your pockets.
These two pushed themselves to the absolute limit for the full five rounds and low-key stole the show from the main event that was Mike Perry vs Luke Rockhold. But once you see this fight you will realize why. This was the perfect blend of toughness, skill, finesse, and unwavering determination with both men being knocked down, but neither giving up.
And just when you thought the action had died down, Alvarez put Mendes to the floor one last time with just seconds to go, likely swaying the judges from a possible draw to a victory for Alvarez.
KnuckleMania really is the high point of the BKFC calendar but there’s a reason for that. When the lights shine their brightest, it brings the best out of the athletes. That was abundantly clear when in the main event of the third installment, Lorenzo Hunt threw a punch that will be remembered for as long as there’s bare knuckle fighting… and then a millennium after that.
Mike Richman was the interim champion while Hunt was up at cruiserweight winning his second world title. With a chance to unify the titles and become the true champion Richman looked unbelievable, possibly the best he’s ever looked, landing quick hard combinations both to the body of Hunt and his head. The body work really started to take its toll towards the end of round one which left upstairs wide open. Richman tagged him up like some cheap pants at a thrift store. Check the tape but I think you can actually see the cartoon like birds circling above the champs head when he hits the ground. When he got back to his feet, Richman plodded forward looking for the knockout.
Then it happened.
A hellacious right hook caught Richman on the chin, sending him flat on his back stiff as a board blowing bubbles with his lips. Seriously. The first punch that was thrown after the knockdown ended the entire thing and sent the crowd into a frenzy. With all of the circumstances factored in, not even Boxing, MMA, Muay Thai, Karate Combat, Street Beefs, Hockey Fights, Power Slap, Chess Boxing, WWE, The Avengers, or Super Mario Smash Bros, have a better knockout than this. Maybe they do, I don't know, it's still my favourite and I GUARANTEE if you watch it it will be one of your favourites too.
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