One of BKFC’s best should take on one of BKFC’s most promising.
BKFC’s youth movement is well underway. Kai Stewart (5-0, 2 KO’s) holds a title at just 23 years old, Bryan Duran (6-0, 6 KO’s) and Alberto Blas (4-0, 4 KO’s) have already earned title shots and there’s another who should join their fold. Bryce Henry (4-0, 4 KO’s).
Henry got his start as a pro boxer going 5-0 with four coming by way of knockout before he made his bare knuckle debut. He would win with a knockout before going back to boxing one last time. Since his last boxing match he has gone 3-0 with three stoppages and has been one of the most impressive prospects in all of BKFC, to the point where he is no longer an up and comer, he’s a contender. Ranked in the top five of two different weight classes, Henry could seemingly have his choice of which title to pursue, but in this piece we’re going to attempt to sway him one way.
(Photo Courtesy: BKFC)
Welterweight Champion Austin Trout (2-0, 1 KO).
On the flip side of Henry, the 38 year old, former WBA World champion, came to bare knuckle after realizing success in the gloved game, including multiple defences of his world title. And in just his second appearance took out BKFC’s greatest of all time, Luis Palomino, winning the vacant welterweight title in the process.
You might be thinking, why is this a good matchup? One guy is clearly more experienced than the other.
Bare knuckle is its own beast. Trout was the better boxer, but could Henry be the better bare knuckler? Both guys utilize a very similar game, very jab heavy, using it to prod out an attack from their opponent, which they look to counter. Henry would continue to use his height and reach advantage that he has had in all but one of his bare knuckle fights. But if anyone could figure out Henry’s defences, it’s Trout.
While the boxing experience gap may be too much for some people, this fight likely wouldn’t happen next, and in the meantime, Trout isn’t getting any younger, and Henry is only getting better each time he enters the squared circle, which could close up the gap.
(Photo Courtesy: BKFC)
Henry will likely need another win over a fellow top five fighter, while Trout seems preoccupied with his rematch with Palomino. But according to a recent social media run in, between Trout and Palomino, there is a possibility their rematch takes place at 155, for the other vacant title, which is great news for Henry, being ranked in both divisions, and only having one opponent to prepare for.
There are a lot of moving parts, and a lot needs to go right for both guys, but there is no fight that would be more high level, and technical in all of bare knuckle than seeing the old guard face off with the new guard, in the form of Austin Trout vs. Bryce Henry.
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