The Bare Knuckle Fighting Championships (BKFC) is an American bare-knuckle boxing promotion based in Philadelphia. The BKFC returned to Philadelphia on July 25 and the event sold out 2300 Arena in South Philly. Let's delve into the thrilling outcomes of the fights that took place that night.
BKFC Fight Night Philly: Pague vs. Petersen
The main event saw Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) veteran Louis Pague overcome a knockdown in the first round. He rallied and landed a flurry of blows in Round Two.
With Petersen in severe trouble, the referee stopped the bout 29 seconds into the second round.
Fight Results:
- Main event: Dustin Pague def. Ryan Petersen via TKO in Round 2 (0:29)
- Women’s bout: Rosa Rodriguez def. Gabrielle Roman via TKO in Round 3 (1:08)
- John Garbarino def. Erik Lopez via TKO in Round 2 (1:48)
- Alessio Sakara def. Erick Lozano via KO in Round 2 (0:48)
- Pat Sullivan def. Austin Peterson via TKO in Round 1 (0:15)
- Cody Vidal def. Maurice Horne via KO in Round 4 (1:28)
- Elijah Harris def. Ishiah Carson via KO in Round 1 (0:07)
- Lex Ludlow def. Lewis Rumsey via TKO in Round 2 (0:29)
- Dalvin Blair def.
Harris gets credit for the “blink and you’ll miss it” victory of the night. Just seven seconds into the first round, he caught opponent Carson flush with a thunderous punch.
Crowd favorite John Garbarino (AKA “Johnny Cannoli”), a Philadelphia native, crushed Lopez in their two-round bout. Light heavyweight Garbarino recorded five separate knockdowns before the referee stopped the fight and declared Garbarino the winner by technical knockout with 12 seconds remaining in the round.
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Here's a summary of the key results from the event:
| Fighter 1 | Fighter 2 | Result | Round | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dustin Pague | Ryan Petersen | TKO | 2 | 0:29 |
| Rosa Rodriguez | Gabrielle Roman | TKO | 3 | 1:08 |
| John Garbarino | Erik Lopez | TKO | 2 | 1:48 |
| Alessio Sakara | Erick Lozano | KO | 2 | 0:48 |
| Pat Sullivan | Austin Peterson | TKO | 1 | 0:15 |
| Cody Vidal | Maurice Horne | KO | 4 | 1:28 |
| Elijah Harris | Ishiah Carson | KO | 1 | 0:07 |
| Lex Ludlow | Lewis Rumsey | TKO | 2 | 0:29 |
Countdown to BKFC FIGHT NIGHT PHILLY PAGUE vs PETERSEN & FREE LIVE FIGHTS!
BKFC Events and Expansion
Before acquiring the Bare Fist Boxing Association and officially establishing BKFC UK, Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship made its debut in the United Kingdom with BKFC 27: London, which took place on 20 August 2022. In 2023, BKFC announced the launch of the BKFC Prospects Series.
Fighters on the Prospects Series will compete in front of BKFC President David Feldman for a chance at a contract with BKFC; similar in format to Dana White's Contender Series, or the PFL Challenger Series in mixed martial arts. In July, 2025, Conor McGregor and David Feldman made a number announcements at the inaugural BKFC 2025 Champions Summit on Hollywood, Florida.
Upcoming Events
BKFC will hold a Prudential Center card in Newark on October 4. Saturday, January 25, 2025 sees BKFC KnuckleMania 5 takes place at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, PA. The card airs live on DAZN starting at 8PM ET, 5PM PT.
Some of the recent and upcoming BKFC events include:
Read also: Pague's Transition to Bare Knuckle
- BKFC 86 Hollywood, FL: Trout vs. Palomino
- BKFC 84 Palm Desert: Dyer vs. Hunt
- BKFC Fight Night Michigan: Rodriguez vs. Cavender
- BKFC Fight Night Hammond: Henry vs. Lindsey
- BKFC 82 Newark: Perry vs.
- BKFC 81 Manchester: DeGale vs.
- BKFC Fight Night Philly: Pague vs. Petersen
- BKFC 78 Hollywood, FL: Perdomo vs.
Rules and Regulations
BKFC holds all bouts in a circular four-rope ring, referred to as the "Squared Circle". This ring incorporates elements of historical bare knuckle fighting by containing two scratch lines, three feet apart and in the middle of the ring. These scratch lines are based on the Broughton Rules, which governed bare knuckle fighting in the 19th century.
It is a requirement that each fighter must start each round with their front foot on their scratch line.
Bare Knuckle Thai
Bare Knuckle Thai was a officially licensed brand of BKFC in Thailand. Rules were similar to Muay Thai, with the notable exception that competitors fight without gloves. Matches consist of five rounds, with each round lasting two minutes. The rules permitted the use of kicks, punches, elbows, and knees, but explicitly prohibit trips and sweeps. Fighters had to remain active in a clinch, which lasts for three seconds.
Read also: Record-Breaking BKFC Event