I share my thoughts on BYB’s recently released pound-for-pound list.
Everyone loves pound-for-pound lists, and of course, everyone always agrees on them! Earlier this week, BYB Extreme released their official rankings on social media. While I certainly agree with much of this list, I wanted to share my instant reaction to the rankings.
1. LT Nelson (6-1-1, 6 KO) - Middleweight & Super Middleweight Champion
Correct. A double champion with a great résumé against tough competition, Nelson has a style that, until proven otherwise, is unstoppable. He is well on his way to becoming one of the greatest bare-knuckle fighters of the modern era—in fact, he’s probably already there. He’s the top dog of BYB and rightfully deserves the number one slot.
2. Gustavo Trujillo (6-0, 6 KO) - Heavyweight Champion
Also correct. While his résumé leaves a lot to be desired in terms of competition, he’s destroying these guys in one round. What else could you want from him? While Nelson will be tough to surpass, even with a win over Richie Leak later this year, if Trujillo continues on this path of destruction, the top spot could be his in the near future. Though he’s yet to secure that one blockbuster win since returning to bare-knuckle, the second spot is perfect for the “Cuban Assassin.”
3. Marko Martinjak (10-2, 10 KO) - Super Cruiserweight Champion
With slick boxing and obvious knockout power (evidenced by his 100% KO ratio), Martinjak rounds out the top three nicely. Coming off a steamrolling of Brad Scott in under a minute, he keeps himself in the upper echelon of bare-knuckle fighters. It will be interesting to see who is next in line for a shot at his title, as surpassing Trujillo and Nelson would be no small feat.
4. Gregoris Cisneros (4-1, 4 KO) Light Heavyweight Champion
Seemingly out of nowhere, Cisneros makes his way onto the list. However, he put a beating on Cub Hawkins, who was a top-five guy at the time. With only five fights, he’s the new kid on the block, but given his performance over Hawkins, he’s certainly a legit contender. Maybe a bit high for me, but I’ll explain that further down the list.
5. Cub Hawkins (5-1, 5 KO) Cruiserweight Champion
A tough loss to Cisneros, who now sits at number four, but Hawkins remains one of the most capable bare-knuckle fighters on the BYB roster. The loss was a tough look, and I would probably rank him a little lower, but having him here isn’t a stretch—it’s just not where I’d place him.
6. Julio Tanori (4-0, 3 KO) Lightweight Champion
Tanori should be above Hawkins and Cisneros. He’s a current champion with an unblemished record. While a perfect record isn’t a requirement to be a pound-for-pound star, it’s certainly a good thing to have on the résumé. Tanori’s two wins over Irwin have earned him respect from fighters, fans, and media members alike—myself included. I think six is a bit low.
7. Helen Peralta (3-0-1, 2 KO) Featherweight Champion
Way, way, way too low. She should be number four. While it was a while ago, Peralta remains the only person to defeat Christine Ferea. Since returning, she stopped Monica Medina in less than a round. For context, Medina went to war in three distance fights with Paty Juarez, one of the most accomplished women in bare-knuckle today. Peralta melted her in one round. While pound-for-pound rankings must consider entire résumés, high points matter too.
8. Agnesa Kirakosian (3-0) Super Flyweight Champion
Kirakosian’s strength of schedule leaves a lot to be desired. However, at 3-0, she has already delivered a fight of the year in her short tenure. Still, having her above Barrie Jones—even with him coming off a loss—is a stretch for me. I don’t want to take anything away from Kirakosian, but BYB is setting her up for scrutiny by ranking her above Jones. And believe me, we here at BK Nation know a thing or two about pound-for-pound lists being scrutinized.
9. Barrie Jones (10-1, 7 KO)
It’s tough to see Jones this low, but the loss to LT Nelson was telling regarding where he currently stands in his bare-knuckle career. Not much more to say—he’s not quite where he used to be, but he still deserves to be higher.
10. James Connelly (6-5-1, 1 KO)
Agree. While Connelly doesn’t currently hold a championship, his fights with Nelson and Sweeney, combined with his win over Tiffin earlier this year, make the number 10 spot perfect for him. With his fight against Nelson coming up, he could climb into the top three with a win.
While lists are always tough to make, I don’t have much I would change here. However, these rankings are subjective, and this is just my opinion. I don’t take myself too seriously—and neither should you!
Here’s my version of the list:
1. LT Nelson
2. Gustavo Trujillo
3. Marko Martinjak
4. Julio Tanori
5. Helen Peralta
6. Gregoris Cisneros
7. Barrie Jones
8. Cub Hawkins
9. Agnesa Kirakosian
10. James Connelly
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