If you had to sum up bare knuckle’s 2024 in one word it would be “Expansion”.
In the knuckleverse, 2024 has been a year of vast change and growth. With no end in sight, let’s take a look at the most pivotal year in bare knuckle history.
To begin the year, in one of the first events on the calendar, BKFC would venture north and hold a card in Canada for the first time. In a snowy Edmonton Alberta in March, the night would see Jade Masson-Wong win the main event in less than a round, which eventually earned her a shot at Christine Ferea and the flyweight title later in the year. They would return to Canada again in August, establishing that The Great White North would be a mainstay going forward.
At the end of 2023 it was announced that BKFC had gotten approval from the California State athletic commission to hold events in 2024. And they took full advantage when in April The fourth installment of their biggest show of the year, KnuckleMania, took centre stage in Los Angeles. Their biggest star Mike Perry was set to headline across from Thiago Alves, but that wasn’t the only bombshell of the night. It was announced during the broadcast that longtime fan, former two division UFC champion Conor McGregor would be joining the BKFC front office as a part owner. One of the biggest and most recognizable names in all of combat sports brought even more firepower to the rocket ship that is bare knuckle fighting.
The big moves weren’t exclusive to BKFC this year either. In the biggest acquisition of the modern era, The North American company BYB Extreme had acquired one of the big three bare knuckle companies in UK based BKB. A massive move that seemingly came out of nowhere combined two of the three biggest bare knuckle organizations in the western world. While the companies have done talent swaps in the past, this was not a fighter exchange but instead a full on merger. BYB would double down on their new era when they acquired the lineage of the Police Gazette World Diamond Belt, to use as their championships going forward. A massive piece of bare knuckle history in North America that dates all the way back to the 1880’s. With two massive acquisitions, BYB went on to have their best year yet with the addition of more weight classes and continuing to strengthen their roots in the UK, holding events in England and Wales.
Although not quite to the level of BYB and BKB, BKFC would also enter a talent swap agreement with Rizin FF, sending fighters Tai Emery and Charisa Sigala, along with Flyweight champion John Dodson to appear for the Japanese promotion. While there hasn’t been any swaps since then,this wasn’t meant to be a full on merger, so the door is still open for more in the future.
BKFC continued to push into new territory breaking ground in Spain for the first time, and to do it they put on a monumental card. A championship triple header headlined by American Tony Soto and Spanish resident Franco Tenaglia. The jaw dropping event took place at Marbella Arena, an open air bullfighting ring. With as many eyes on the sport as there’s ever been, thanks to a deal made with DAZN, and of course their new co-owner McGregor all over their social media channels and press conferences, the event was the dawn of a new era. The night would be a massive success all around and it was capped off by a Fight of the Year candidate with Soto and Tenaglia going toe to toe for all five rounds. The travel into new territory throughout the year proves that BKFC shows no signs of slowing down. With now seven full years since the rebirth, opportunity is abundant for the industry leader.
Overall the sport is in the best place it's ever been in the modern era. With both North American based companies making massive moves to improve both their reach around the world, their talent pool and their on air product, if you aren’t already a fan, it's the perfect time to become one.
Top Photo Courtesy of BKFC.
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