THE QUEEN OF BKFC: CHRISTINE FEREA

The term “GOAT” may get thrown around a lot, but when it comes to Christine Ferea, there’s no denying her greatness.

Christine Ferea (Left) lands a left hand on Bec Rawlings at BKFC 56. (Photo courtesy: BKFC)

All hail the Queen of BKFC, Christine Ferea. The current BKFC Women’s Flyweight Champion has dominated the competition since joining the promotion almost six years ago, and in doing so has established herself as the GOAT of the women's division.

Growing up in San Jose, California, Ferea got her start in combat when she joined a gym in hopes of getting fit, but instead discovered Muay Thai. She would excel in the sport, going 13-0 as an amateur and winning her sole professional bout. She would then briefly transition to MMA, but it wouldn’t be until 2018 that she found her true calling, Bare Knuckle.

She would make her debut at BKFC 3, plowing through Jennifer Tate on her way to a first-round stoppage. Her second fight would come against current strawweight champion, Britain Hart. After a relatively uneventful first round for Ferea, she would unload on her opponent in the second, cutting up her face and forcing a doctor’s stoppage just over halfway into the round.

Next, she would face off against Helen Peralta, who like Ferea, came from a successful amateur combat sports background, in her case, MMA. Both women came out swinging, and Ferea appeared to be in control, knocking her opponent onto the canvas in the second round. Peralta wasn't fazed, responding quickly with a knockdown of her own to even things up. In the end, it was Peralta who would earn the unanimous decision, handing Ferea her first loss in BKFC.

However, this did nothing to slow her down, she ran through her next two opponents, setting up a rematch with Britain Hart at KnuckleMania 2, this time for the vacant BKFC Women’s Flyweight Championship. While this bout would go the full five rounds, Hart was left completely battered and Ferea won by unanimous decision.

Christine Ferea (left) and Britain Hart in their match at KnuckleMania 2. (Photo Courtesy: BKFC)

With a belt around her waist, she turned her game up another notch, starting with her first defence against the then-undefeated Taylor Starling. Ferea would absolutely dismantle her opponent, coming in with an onslaught of punches that forced Starling to quit, ending the fight in the first 40 seconds.

Her next two defences would come against professional MMA veteran Bec Rawlings. The first fight was a familiar story, with Ferea forcing a doctor's stoppage after two rounds, but in their second meeting, Rawlings was able to make it to the final bell. Regardless, Ferea still dominated much of the action, and would once again retain her title by unanimous decision.

With more wins than any other woman in company history and a stranglehold on the flyweight title, Ferea has firmly established herself as the best there is in her division. Her next bout will come on May 11th in the main event of BKFC 61, as she takes on former WBO world champion, Heather Hardy, to crown the first-ever “Queen of Violence”. This is set to be Hardy’s Bare Knuckle debut, so she could be in for a rude awakening when she steps into the squared circle with the women’s GOAT.

Despite already being 41 years old, Ferea has shown no signs of slowing down, with her last loss coming almost five years ago. Her upcoming bout may be to crown the queen of violence, but if you know anything about Bare Knuckle, you know that Christine Ferea is already the Queen of BKFC.