This past weekend, BKFC had their second annual Knuckle Mania event. This event was a big deal for the promotion and featured the debuts of a couple of big time former UFC fighters including former three-time featherweight title challenger Chad Mendes.
By all indications, the event was a success for BKFC and they saw their new fighters have big wins. Chad Mendes won emphatically by TKO and Mike Perry made a statement with his win. Perry’s win sets up a potential BKFC title fight with middleweight champion Thiago Alves.
Over the past couple of years, BKFC has been doing whatever they could to become more mainstream and disrupt things. Arguably the biggest move that they made was signing former UFC fighter and social media star Paige VanZant.
PVZ signed a massive deal with BKFC and the promotion hoped that she could lead them to the next level. However, the investment hasn’t paid off yet. VanZant has lost both of her Bare Knuckle bouts and her third fight is yet to be booked. No confirmation that it will be booked.
However, BKFC has continued to grind and they picked up guys like Chad Mendes and Mike Perry to help build their brand. They’ve made enough noise where founder David Feldman started fielding calls from people interested in purchasing the promotion.
BKFC Purchased
Today on the MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, David Feldman announced that BKFC’s majority stake has been purchased. Feldman announced that the Triller group has purchased BKFC and now has the controlling position within the promotion.
BKFC’s president did say that operations will run pretty much as is after the Triller acquisition. He noted that the main thing that comes with this acquisition is the increase in funding which should make them more competitive with top-notch free agent athletes.
We’ve seen BKFC throw around some money to get notable fighters, but now they have even more money. When a top free agent hits the market, BKFC is going to have to be talked about as a potential destination especially with the increased funds.
The promotion is expected to have a big year this year. Feldman announced that they will be having a total of 42 events in 2022 and he’s hoping to have BKFC be legalized in 22 states by the end of the year. Currently, only 14 states allow Bare Knuckle boxing.