Bare Knuckle fighting has punched down the doors of combat, so now what?
It’s a special moment when you see an idea flourish into something you always believed it would be. Endless visualizing, flushing out scenarios, blocking out negative energy, and maybe even a little self doubt are all vital steps enroute to your destination. It’s never easy, but then again, nothing as transcendent as bare knuckle ever is.
Such is the case for BKFC Founder and President David Feldman, whose brainchild has swiftly blossomed into a major player in modern day combat sports. Don’t believe me? Conor freakin’ McGregor just bought in. What else do you want?
That alone makes you believe this ol’ bare knuckle thing is here to stay. But… (there’s always a but), how sustainable is it? What changes will we see? Will it go mainstream? Only time will tell. Which is why I pose the question: where will bare knuckle be in five years?
Let me preface this by saying, I’m not asking this out of skepticism. I believe the concept of bare knuckle fighting is here to stay. Everyone loves a good scrap, even moreso when there’s bloodshed involved (admit it…). However, there is a legitimate crossroads that every promotion has gone through. Whether or not you’re re-introducing a brutal discipline, there comes a time where you need to adjust.
Photo Courtesy: BKFC
It wasn’t too long ago (1993 to be exact) that a certain company called the UFC started making waves. An all-discipline tournament, with no weight classes or regard for proper sanctioning was welcomed with open arms by all of society.
WRONG.
It was tough sledding for Art Davie and company. No one wanted to give the upstart promotion any credit. It was classified as “human cockfighting”. Have fun promoting with that nickname.
But as legend has it, a young Dana White and his friends, Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta, showed up and saved the day. In other words, they injected enough money and creativity into the company that it became what it is today.
It wasn’t without its bumps in the road. There came a time where the UFC had to come up with new ways to expose itself to the mainstream. Not doing so meant going belly-up and likely moving on to another business venture.
Their bright new idea? TUF.
Who could forget the inaugural season of The Ultimate Fighter back in 2005. A reality TV series where you got a house full of trained MMA fighters, hoping for a chance at a career, they’re on teams, and they’re fighting each other? I’m in!
And so was everyone else who still wanted to give MMA, specifically the UFC, a shot.
Without such a creative, out-of-the-box idea, there’s a solid chance the UFC isn’t around anymore. If Forest Griffin and Stephan Bonnar didn’t have arguably the greatest fight in UFC history that fateful night in 2005, there’s no acquisition of Pride, WEC, or Strikeforce in the years that followed. Apart from McGregor’s rise, the UFC’s run from 2005-2011 might be the most vital period in company history. I believe we’re entering a similar time frame for bare knuckle.
If we asked Dana White in 2005 where the UFC would be in five years, I’m not sure how optimistic he would be. But he and his team made it work. They adjusted when needed, and the product took care of the rest.
Photo Courtesy: BKFC
Now nearly 20 years later, as a grizzled combat sports fan, I can’t help but see similarities between the respective ascensions of MMA and bare knuckle. It’s not apples to apples, I’m aware of that. But just like the early days of the UFC, bare knuckle was also met with reluctance. I remember being skeptical (and admittedly judgemental) myself when BKFC announced its first event in 2018.
Looking at how the UFC responded to all that resistance early on, followed by the inception of TUF and subsequent acquisitions of their competition, it looks eerily similar to what the biggest bare knuckle promotions of today are doing.
This past May, another bare knuckle juggernaut BYB Extreme made a groundbreaking acquisition with the purchase of UK based promotion BKB. With bare knuckle originating in 17th century England, buying their biggest BK promotion was a game changing move for the Miami based company.
A company which literally stands for Backyard Brawl just bought another promotion simply because they can. Ladies and gentlemen we have entered a new era of fighting.
On a serious note, it’s a major step in taking your promotion to the next level. With the hopes that it leads to wider acceptance of the sport itself. Something BKFC has also done with its own expansion into the UK as well as Thailand. Not to mention stints in Canada and an event looming in Spain.
The spending isn’t limited to just their competition either, BYB also acquired the Police Gazette World Diamond Belt, adopting it as its new world championship. Having a belt that dates back to 1881 is a great way of solidifying BYB’s position in bare knuckle. It also shows that this sport still has a place in the combat sports world. The Police Gazette has preserved bare knuckle history for well over a century.
Photo Courtesy: BKFC
Some of the biggest stars in the industry see it too. The aforementioned partnership with Conor McGregor not only brings eyes to the product, but an air of legitimacy to the brand. To those MMA fans standing on their high horse, what now (Wanderlei Silva voice)? Imagine if he takes a bare knuckle fight? That would cause seismic activity in BK, and surely would kick this bus into overdrive.
So I now once again ask, where will bare knuckle be in 5 years?
To answer it simply, I think it’ll continue its growth going into the 2030’s. But I still have some questions of my own.
Success isn’t linear, which it hasn’t been for bare knuckle. Since the mid 2010’s, it’s been a long road to get to this point (much like this article). From getting sanctioned in the states, to overcoming a debutant’s death, bare knuckle has made genuine efforts to make this a viable option for fans. But what about the fighters? After all, they’re the most important asset.
The steps we’ve seen from both BYB and BKFC suggest that these two promotions are dead set on taking bare knuckle to the top. Which is sweet for us fans, but what does that imply for the brave souls stepping in for our entertainment? Especially when some of these competitors are still trying out bare knuckle for the first time. Not to mention the few one-off celebrity cash grabs we’ve seen.
It’s all fun and games now, but these men and women have lives. And I hate to break it to ya’, but you can’t bare knuckle fight forever. What impacts does this sport truly have on its combatants? And how will these promotions go about developing talent? At some point you have to build your own stars and move on from the names of yesterday.
These are things we can only learn over time and research. However, the steady growth of bare knuckle is no mistake. I personally love that fighters have an alternative for when their careers, regardless of discipline, reach a crossroads. In addition, we’re starting to see more fighters opt for the bare knuckle route sooner. Which leads to more “purebred” bare knucklers, enter Kai Stewart and Bryce Henry, as opposed to journeymen who fight out of circumstance.
Photo Courtesy: BKFC
I guess what I’m trying to say is, I have no reason to believe that bare knuckle will fail at this current point. The growth is simply too vast for me to think Conor McGregor is making a dumb business move. I’ve seen too many similarities between MMA’s rise and bare knuckle’s to second guess why people are into bare knuckle. I totally get it, and got the bug myself.
But in this modern version of bare knuckle, it’s still quite young. There’s a lot yet to unfold.
In 5 years time, as we look back on the 2020’s, I believe bare knuckle will have carved out a place for itself next to boxing and MMA.
I just hope when it does reach that point, in 5 years or beyond, the fighters get their fair share of the credit.
Top Photo Courtesy of BKFC.
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