BKFC ANNOUNCES MASSIVE PARTNERSHIP WITH RIZIN
Philadelphia, PA (June 6, 2024) Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC), The World’s Fastest Growing Combat Sports Promotion, announced a massive partnership with RIZIN Fighting Federation on Wednesday afternoon.
David Feldman, Founder and President of BKFC and Nobuyuki Sakakibara, CEO of RIZIN, announced the partnership in a joint appearance with Ariel Helwani on the MMA Hour Podcast.
Said David Feldman, ““Today we get to announce the official partnership with BKFC and RIZIN to produce Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship shows in Japan and all over the southeast Asia region, as well as assist RIZIN with whatever else they need from around the world.”
“We’re really super excited about this partnership and to partner with such a legend like Sakakibara.”
Stated Nobuyuki Sakakibara, “We truly feel the potential of BKFC. I do believe this is happening all over the world in the combat sports industry, is that everything is kind of being still and all the fans are looking for a new movement. They’re looking for new action. Same thing here in Japan, a lot of people are wanting new things. They’re wanting more excitement.”
“We do believe that BKFC has everything it takes to deliver that new excitement over here. The Japanese fans, they like it, and more so we do believe that David and his team are extremely professional and we believe they know what they’re doing. It just only made sense for us to partner with them.”
Plans are for the two companies to start co-promoting events in early 2025.
The partnership kicks off with RIZIN star Tatsuki Shinotsuka, (1-0), facing Cary Caprio, (2-1), in a flyweight battle on Friday, July 12 at BKFC Fight Night: Pechanga in Temecula CA.
On Sunday, July 28, BKFC female stars Tai Emery and Charisa Sigala will compete in a bare-knuckle clash at Super RIZIN 3 at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. BKFC Flyweight World Champion John Dodson, (3-0-1), will also compete in a bare-knuckle clash at Super RIZIN 3 against Takaki Soya.
The announcement comes on the heels of BKFC’s recent ground-breaking investor announcement with combat sports’ icon Conor McGregor. On the podcast Wednesday, Feldman also alluded to additional huge announcements forthcoming for BKFC which celebrated their six-year anniversary on June 2.
Media Contact/Credentials
Bernie Bahrmasel
Double B Sports
Phone: + 1 773 592-2986
Email: BernieBahrmasel@yahoo.com
Twitter: @BernieBahrmasel
About Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC)
Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) is the first promotion allowed to hold a legal, sanctioned, and regulated bare knuckle event in the United States since 1889. Based in Philadelphia, and headed by President and former professional boxer David Feldman, BKFC is dedicated to preserving the historical legacy of bare knuckle fighting, while utilizing a specifically created rule set that emphasizes fighter safety. BKFC holds all of its bouts in a revolutionary circular four-rope ring, designed to encourage fast-paced and exciting bouts. The patented BKFC “Squared Circle” contains scratch lines, based on the Broughton Rules which governed bare knuckle fighting in the 19th century, and which requires fighters to “Toe the Line”: start every round face to face, and just inches apart.
In BKFC, only those fighters who are established professionals in boxing, MMA, kickboxing, or Muay Thai are allowed to compete. The referees and judges are required to have extensive professional combat sports experience. All fights are held under the auspices and control of an Athletic Commission. Unlike other fighting organizations and combat sports internationally which claim to be “bare knuckle”, but require wraps, tape, and gauze; BKFC is true to its word as fighters are not allowed to wrap their hands to within one inch of the knuckle. This makes BKFC unquestionably the truest form of bare knuckle fighting. BKFC is dedicated to not just creating the safest, most exciting, and highest-level bare-knuckle fighting organization in the world, it’s also leading the way for a new fully recognized professional combat sport. BKFC is truly the sport of the future, which fully respects its remarkable past.
