From Matanzas to Miami, BKFC Bantamweight World Champion Alberto Blas has backflipped his way to bare knuckle stardom.
At 5-0 with five first round knockouts, Alberto Blas’ destruction enroute to his crowning moment at BKFC 62 is nothing short of breathtaking. In just five fights, Blas has spent barely five minutes in the squared circle with each one ending in abrupt fashion, and each ending in his trademark backflip. But perhaps none more shocking, and frankly scary, than his championship victory over Keith Richardson this past June in Hollywood, Florida.
Blas caught Richardson early in the fight, and continued to inflict damage on the “Rockstar” until the bout was swiftly waved off. The fight left Richardson so dazed that he attempted to fight referee Sam Burgos following the stoppage. A moment of virality which made Blas’ handiwork available to all, was also a stark reminder of just how powerful he really is.
The BKFC Bantamweight World Champion has fast tracked himself to elite status within bare knuckle. His humble demeanor combined with his otherworldly power makes for an intriguing figure. But the road traveled to get to bare knuckle was much more arduous. Starting out as a freestyle wrestler on Cuba’s national team, Blas eventually began his foray into combat sports as an MMA fighter in 2017.
“El Indio” found success early on, going undefeated in the amateurs before winning his professional debut with Titan FC. Unfortunately, a three fight losing streak would derail his momentum forcing him to pivot to traditional boxing. A change which would come with its own lows as he was disqualified from his lone boxing bout. At this point, it was clear Blas was a fighter at heart, it was just a matter of finding his lane.
Photo Courtesy: BKFC
At the tail end of 2022, Blas discovered that new avenue when he signed with BKFC to pursue bare knuckle. A little out there? Sure, especially given his roots are based in freestyle wrestling (out of Cuba no less). But for someone who has engaged in some form of combat his entire life, this was just another discipline. Of course, there’s a learning curve but Blas must’ve missed that memo.
He entered his new line of work in a blaze of ungloved carnage, winning his debut in 54 seconds followed by another finish six months later, this time in 47 seconds. Continuing on in 2023, Blas got right back to work earning a 72-second finish before taking a break until 2024. He would return to action in February, and you guessed it, battered his way to yet another stoppage, one minute on the dot.
In a sport full of one and done’s, some may scoff at Blas’ rapid rise, chalking it up to simply building up a fighter against lesser competition. However, in a sport as brutal as bare knuckle, the frequency in which he runs through his opponents is unlike anything we’ve seen in the young sport. Not only that, he just ran over the undefeated champion in Richardson. It doesn’t matter who he’s fighting, no one has lasted longer than 72 seconds with Blas in the squared circle.
Those are video game stats. Dare I say Mike Tyson-esque.
Photo Courtesy: BKFC
He’s become appointment viewing in his short stint as a bare knuckler thus far. Blink and you may have just missed the game changing blow. The question now is: how long can he keep this up?
Well if history has anything to say, this streak is bound to end. But that’s not the point, or particularly fun to talk about.
What is fun to talk about is his upcoming title defence against the 6-0 Ryan Reber on Friday, Sep. 13th. As far as experience goes, Reber may just be Blas’ most formidable opponent. With 20 years of martial arts training to go along with his time in the squared circle, Reber certainly brings his own blend of danger to the ring. He seems primed to become the first fighter to exceed the 72 second mark across from “El Indio”.
On the other hand, Reber hasn’t encountered anything like Blas either. No one has. It’s an interesting proposition preparing for a fighter like Blas because he doesn’t give you much tape to study. He’s already doing backflips by the time you realize he’s finished the fight. You can try to break down the nuance in his game, but at the end of the day, no one has found an answer for that power.
Is Ryan Reber the one to force Alberto Blas into deep waters? There’s only one way to find out.
Regardless of the result, Alberto Blas has shown the type of excitement and showmanship reserved for the sport’s biggest stars. He checks off all the intangibles of a box office attraction and now has a world championship to tie it all together.
But as the saying goes, it’s harder to stay on the top than it is to get there. Friday, September 13th, will either be a rude awakening for Blas, or yet another example as to why he is the most exciting fighter in bare knuckle today.
Top Photo Courtesy of BKFC.
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