FORMER BKFC CHAMP MIKE ‘THE MARINE’ RICHMAN VICTORIOUS ATOP OUTSTANDING BKFC FIGHT NIGHT CLEARWATER EVENT
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Clearwater, FL (April 12, 2024) Former Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) World Champion Mike “The Marine” Richman was victorious in his highly anticipated return in the main event of the outstanding BKFC Fight Night Clearwater event on Friday night at the sold-out OCC Road House & Museum in Clearwater, FL.
Richman, who hails from Minneapolis, MN, ended his nine-month layoff from fighting with a fifth-round technical knockout over Erick “El Travieso” Lozano in the light-heavyweight division. Richman sent Lozano to the canvas twice before their fight was stopped 53 seconds into the final round.
"A lot of things went through my mind when I said I was going to retire, but I knew I still had a lot in me. That's what drew me back; I knew I still had a lot in me. That's why I'm here,” Richman told the Clearwater faithful.
“Erick Lozano is a beast; he’s a monster. I knew it was going to be a challenging fight … It was very important to show that I’m still a dog. I feel good and healthy again.”
Richman’s record is now 6-2, 1 NC; Lozano is 3-3.
In Friday’s co-main event, Elvin "El Bandido" Brito shocked fans with a jaw-dropping, 40-second knockout of the previously undefeated Ja’Far Fortt “Knox” in their highly anticipated welterweight matchup. The Puerto Rican Brito, a former BKFC World Champion, snapped a three-fight losing skid with his victory and upped his BKFC record to 6-4 with the win. Fortt, who hails from Tampa, FL, sees his record move to 3-1 with the loss.
A fired-up Brito called out BKFC World Welterweight Champion Austin “No Doubt” Trout after his big win. "Give me Trout. I'm the champ,” he told the sold-out OCC Road House & Museum crowd. “You're not the champ unless you beat me. I'm the champ; I'm at the top of the mountain."
Tyler ‘The Rookie’ Randall, the No. 2 contender in the BKFC flyweight division, edged out #1 ranked contender JR ‘The Lion’ Ridge for the split-decision victory in Friday’s feature fight. Randall, a product of Hoosick Falls, NY, upped his BKFC record to 3-2 with the win, while the Filipino-born Tampa, FL fighter Ridge moved to 3-4. Two judges scored the bout in favor of Randall (49-46, 48-47), and one judge had it 48-47 for Ridge, a former BKFC World Flyweight Title challenger.
Abdiel ‘The Nightmare’ Velazquez dropped Travis ‘The Animal’ Thompson twice enroute to a 66-second knockout victory for the Puerto Rican-born Springhill, FL fighter. Velazquez is now 4-4 under the BKFC banner. Thompson, who entered fight night as the #5 ranked contender in the BKFC bantamweight division, falls to 5-6 with the loss.
Saginaw, MI’s Jay ‘Action’ Jackson lived up to his nickname with a big win at the expense of Idrees ‘Grumpy Bear’ Wasi of Sacramento, CA in the light-heavyweight division. The doctor called a halt to the bout at the conclusion of the third round. With the victory, Jackson improves to 4-3 in the Squared Circle, while Wasi moves to 1-3.
Jessica ‘The Black Widow’ Borga of Lakeland, FL smashed her way to 2-0 with a first-round knockout over German-born Denver, CO product Katharina ‘The German Gypsy’ Lehner in their women’s featherweight bout. Time of the stoppage was 41 seconds into the first round. Lehner is now 0-1.
Miami’s Leonel ‘Lionheart’ Carerra upped his BKFC record to 1-1 with a technical knockout against Mike Heckert of St. Petersburg in middleweight action. The ringside doctor stopped the bout at the conclusion of the second round due to Heckert’s eye injury.
Angel ‘OG’ Hernandez made history Friday as the Brandon, FL product notched an eight-second knockout over Trinidad, TX’s Rayne “The Guy on the Couch” Wells in their battle of debuting lightweights. The lightning-fast finish is good for the third fastest stoppage victory in BKFC history.
In the first fight of the night, Quentin ‘GQ’ Gaskins of St. Petersburg, FL was victorious in his BKFC debut, scoring a first-round technical knockout over Lancaster, PA’s Zach “Lil Mac” Pannell. Their back-and-forth featherweight battle was called to a stop by the ringside physician at the conclusion of the first round. Pannell’s record fell to 1-1 with the loss.
BKFC Fight Night Clearwater Results
Mike Richman def. Erick Lozano via TKO in Round 5 (0:53)
Elvin Brito def. Ja’Far Fortt via TKO in Round 1 (0:40)
Tyler Randall def. JR Ridge via Split Decision (49-46, 47-48, 48-47)
Abdiel Velazquez def. Travis Thompson via KO in Round 1 (1:03)
Jay Jackson def. Idrees Wasi via TKO in Round 3 (2:00)
Jessica Borga def. Katharina Lehner via KO in Round 1 (0:41)
Leonel Carerra def. Mike Heckert via TKO in Round 2 (2:00)
Angel Hernandez def. Rayne Wells via KO in Round 1 (0:08)
Quentin Gaskins def. Zach Pannell via TKO (doctor stoppage) in Round 1 (2:00)
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Media Contact/Credentials
Bernie Bahrmasel
Double B Sports
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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.
