Abdiel “The Nightmare” Velazquez is back.
The Puerto Rican-born Spring Hill, FL product returned to the Squared Circle on Friday for the first time in more than 30 months. After nearly 1,000 days away from fighting, Velazquez needed just 63 seconds to stop Travis Thompson, the No. 5 contender in the BKFC bantamweight division, in their weekend matchup at BKFC Fight Night Clearwater.
“I’ll take it,” Velazquez says with a laugh when asked if his return could’ve gone any better. “I was ready for war with Travis, but I definitely won’t complain about a fast stoppage. It can always go better.”
Prior to his layoff, the battle-tested Velazquez shared the Squared Circle with former BKFC World Champions Reggie Barnett Jr. and Dat Nguyen. He stepped away from competing to make some changes in his professional life, and to deal with some injuries and personal issues. “The Nightmare” continued training throughout his hiatus, and it paid off on Friday.
BKFC has grown exponentially since Velzquez stepped away from the Squared Circle in 2021. Now that he’s back – and still just 30 years old – he’s ready to establish himself as one of the brightest stars on the roster.
“I definitely plan on being a face of BKFC,” he says.
“I’ve seen the sport grow so much, and I just want to show my skill, show that I can truly fight, and just live up to my potential.”
