Bare knuckle fighting isn’t for everybody, but Felipe Chavez says it’s definitely for him.
“I love it. I love striking, I love boxing,” he says with a smile.
“But the thing I love most about bare knuckle is that you really don’t take as much damage as other sports. I consider myself to be pretty smart – I have a great job outside of fighting – and as someone who’s always tried their best to protect their brain, I really appreciate the fighter safety aspect of bare knuckle.
“If you’re better than your opponent, you’ll probably end the fight soon, or vice versa. But with boxing, you’re just getting your head pounded on for 12 rounds and taking a ton of unnecessary damage.”
Training for fights is a family affair for Chavez, who will usually be flanked by his two teenage sons on long runs and in the gym.
“I get home from work and they’re waiting for me with their gym bags. When I’m not working, they wake me up to ask when we’re going to train that day,” he says, laughing.
“It’s something that we do together as a family. As a parent, you want to be involved in your kids’ lives as much as possible with all the crazy things that are going on in this world. This is something that keeps us close as a family.”
Chavez happily returns to the Squared Circle on Friday at BKFC 59 at the Tingley Coliseum in his hometown of Albuquerque, NM, LIVE on The BKFC App. He’ll be looking to smash his way to 2-0 under the BKFC banner with a win over fellow BKFC Prospect Series vet Leandro Torres, who also sports a 1-0 record.
“This is going to be a fun, fast-paced fight,” the personable welterweight says.
“Argentinian fighters are really tough – that’s what they’re known for, and that’s part of what excites me about this opponent. I think it’s a great matchup. It’s going to be the U.S.A. versus Argentina, and I love the fact that I get to represent the country in my fight.”
