With how hot the sport of bare knuckle is right now, it’s time to do some matchmaking ourselves!
All of bare knuckle is on fire right now. Great fights are being made left, right, and centre! So much so that I feel left out and want to have some fun on my own. There are plenty of divisions with clear contenders but there are some that still need a bit of clarity and I hope these matchups provide that! Let's get into it. Here is one fight that needs to happen in every BKFC weight class.
Strawweight: Jayme Hinshaw (2-0, 2 KO’s) vs. Sarah Shell (2-0, 1 KO)
After taking time away from fighting, Hinshaw has stated that she is beginning her return to the squared circle. Despite previously being ranked in the Top 5, immediately throwing her in with Britain Hart may be a mistake, at least right away. Since her time away, Sarah Shell has entered the Top 5 with her win over Crystal Van Wyk. When looking at the Top 5, Shell is the only active fighter who Hart hasn’t beat. Add in Hinshaw who didn’t lose her place in line because of a result but rather taking time away to have her child, it makes the most sense to inject new blood into the championship picture.
Flyweight (W): Rosalinda Rodriguez (2-0, 1 KO) vs. Christine Vicens (3-0, 2 KO’s)
BKFC 65 will see Jade Masson-Wong face Christine Ferea for her flyweight strap. Rodriguez has parlayed her 13-0 pro boxing record into a 2-0 start in BKFC and the talent is obviously there. Vicens was out of action from December 2022- June 2024 but her one round smashing of Melanie Shah proves she's back and ready to go. Not to mention she holds a win over Masson-Wong. A win in this hypothetical matchup would all but ensure a shot at the BKFC 65 winner.
Flyweight (M): John Dodson (4-0-1, 3 KO’s) vs. Dagoberto Aguero (1-0-1, 1 KO)
The division needs to move on. The best way to do that is to get closure on this matchup. These two met at BKFC 59 for Dodson’s Flyweight title and the fight ended in a draw. Dodson has gotten back in the win column since their draw in March while Aguero has remained inactive. If the two could figure this out before the year is over, it sets 2025 up to be an exciting year for the flyweights with a clear champion of the division!
Bantamweight: Keith Richardson (4-1, 3 KO’s) vs. Chris Garcia (4-0, 3 KO’s)
For what it’s worth, bantamweight might be the most stacked division in all of BKFC. With Alberto Blas defending his title against Ryan Reber at BKFC 66 in September, the battle for next up is already underway. Justin Ibarolla, the #3 ranked fighter is already scheduled for the same night. If he were to win it could be hard to skip past him for a shot at the title. However, Chris Garcia is the fourth ranked contender with the same record as Ibarolla. If he were to get over the #1 ranked, former champion, Keith Richardson or likewise Richardson puts down an undefeated contender, people may be inclined to see the former champ battle it out for the title instead.
Featherweight: Brandon Allen (4-1, 3 KO’s) vs Bryan Duran (6-1, 6 KO's)
While it seems as though champ Kai Stewart has his sights set on Jimmie Rivera, no bout has been announced yet. If another contender can make a statement in the meantime, they could see their title aspirations realized. For Duran he needs to make a splash to get his rematch with Stewart but a win over the top ranked contender Allen does just that. On the other side Duran looked unbeatable in the lead up to his clash with Stewart and by most peoples measure is still the second best featherweight out there, if Allen were to return and take out Duran in a similar or ever better style than the champ Stewart, his case for a title shot would be hard to deny.
Photo Courtesy: BKFC
Lightweight: Bryce Henry (4-0, 4 KO’s) vs. James Lilley (8-2-1, 4 KO’s)
Bryce Henry is ranked Top 5 in both lightweight and welterweight, but is yet to get that statement victory that solidifies him as a real contender for either belt. While both titles are set to be competed for at BKFC Spain, a meaningful win over someone like James Lilley could boost his stock enough for either title. Lilley on the other hand is on a two fight skid since starting his bare knuckle career 8-0-1. A win over surging contender Henry would be the perfect rebound performance and remind everyone just how good he is.
Welterweight: Carlos Trinidad-Snake (5-0, 3 KO’s) vs. Connor Tierney (8-2, 3 KO’s)
Carlos Trinidad-Snake is the current #1 ranked welterweight so he should be next in line right? Well, he was already ranked number one when it was announced champ Austin Trout would face Rico Franco at BKFC Spain. CTS obviously hasn’t done enough to earn his shot in the matchmakers eyes and a win over current UK Champ Connor Tierney could do just that. A six fight win streak for Tierney nearly resulted in a title shot had he not stubbed his toe against Jake Lindsey. A win over the #1 ranked guy gets him right back on track and right back to the front of the line.
Middleweight: Dakota Cochrane (6-2, 5 KO’s) vs. Zeb Vincent (3-1, 3 KO’s)
Both guys are coming off big wins this summer with Cochrane defeating Jeremie Holloway by TKO and Zeb Vincent stopping Doug Coltrane. These two are on a collision course with a title shot on the line. Both guys are on three-fight stoppage streaks; it only makes sense for these two to lock horns to decide the champion David Mundell’s next opponent.
Photo Courtesy: BKFC
Light heavyweight: Mike Richman (6-2, 6 KO’s) vs. Jomi Escoboza (9-2, 5 KO’s)
Jomi Escoboza has already lost twice to current champion Jared Warren, so it would take something big to earn a third try. If he were to take out a guy like Mike Richman, someone only Lorenzo Hunt and David Mundell have knocked out, it would send shockwaves through the BKFC landscape. Escoboza would likely need something else after that to get his third attempt at Warren. But for Richman, after his masterclass against Mike Lozano earlier this year, he may just need to get over Jomi to fight for a BKFC title again.
Cruiserweight: Sawyer Depee (5-2, 5 KO’s) vs. Chris Camozzi (2-1, 2 KO’s)
This division still holds a vacant title so this one was pretty easy. Chris Camozzi was unsuccessful in his first attempt against Lorenzo Hunt but given Hunt’s positive test for PEDs, giving him another shot at gold can’t hurt. Who better to battle it out with than Sawyer Depee? Currently on a three fight stoppage streak Depee has earned this opportunity.
Heavyweight: Zach Calmus (5-2, 4 KO’s) vs. Josh Watson (3-1, 3 KO’s)
These two heavyweights are quite possibly the most exciting in all of bare knuckle, not just BKFC. However, the division is full of contenders so to earn a shot at gold may take some time. So let's have some fun, and that's exactly what this match is. Both of these guys would benefit from a win over the other on their path to the title. I don’t know who would win, but I know somebodies getting knocked out!
Top Photo Courtesy of BKFC.
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