Bare-knuckle boxing, which for decades was considered a niche sport with limited mass appeal, has undergone radical changes by 2026. Thanks to sold-out arenas, major television and streaming deals, the participation of former UFC stars and world boxing champions, and growing international expansion, bare-knuckle fights have become one of the fastest-growing sectors of combat sports.
At the center of this growth are promoters such as Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) and BKB (Bare Knuckle Boxing), which are driving the sport into a new era.
Founded in April 2018 by former professional boxer David Feldman, BKFC has transformed from a Philadelphia startup into the most recognizable name in modern bare-knuckle boxing. It also became the first officially regulated and sanctioned promoter organization in the US in the modern era.
Since its inception, BKFC has established itself as a landmark name in combat sports, attracting many well-known figures from both MMA and boxing. Former UFC stars, such as Mike Perry, Eddie Alvarez, and Jeremy Stephens, among others, have helped raise the profile of the promotion by attracting fans from across the combat sports sphere.
It cannot be denied that BKFC has masterfully mastered the art of attracting recognizable names, but perhaps its most significant acquisition has been the addition of global sports icon Conor McGregor as a co-owner and one of the company's most influential ambassadors.
BKFC has also actively invested in international expansion, hosting events in North America, Europe, and the Middle East, continuing to secure new broadcasting partnerships and launch regional initiatives. Recent programming agreements, including a collaboration with YES Network, demonstrate the promotion's drive to move beyond the on-demand model and enter mainstream sports media.
However, while BKFC continues to gain popularity worldwide through flashy press conferences, viral moments, and often unpredictable appearances by McGregor, another, quieter story is unfolding in this sport. This story belongs to BKB.
Originally founded by legendary entrepreneur Mike Vasquez and Dafir 'Dada 5000' Harris as BYB Extreme Fighting Series, and later adopting the historic name BKB, the promotion has carved out a unique niche in the market thanks to the Triangle—a triangular fighting platform that ensures constant engagement and rewards aggressive fighting.
More importantly, the company continues to evolve. Having already held events in the United States and the United Kingdom, with plans to expand into markets such as Dubai and Mexico, BKB has formed an executive team with years of experience in media rights, broadcasting, live events, sponsorship, communications, marketing, commercial partnerships, and international expansion.
Instead of just creating another promotion, BKB appears to be building a long-term global sports enterprise.
While BKFC hosts significantly more events annually—approximately 20 to 30—BKB has chosen a different approach. By holding about 10–13 major numbered events per year, the promotion has focused on quality, combining top-tier production, elite matchmaking, and a constantly improving roster of former boxing and MMA stars.
In recent months alone, BKB has signed notable athletes, including Victor Ortiz, Coco Diaz Jr., Lee Selby, Aspen Ladd, and Henry 'Hammerin' Hank' Landy, thereby strengthening an already impressive lineup that includes Polly Malinyadj, Yuriorkis Gamboa, the Vargas brothers, Jade Mason-Wong, Alfredo Angulo, John Molina Jr., Lucas Brown, Kub Hawkins, and Marco Martinyak.
Perhaps the company's loudest statement was made outside the ring when it hired former Professional Fighters League head Lorena Mack as Director of Marketing and Executive Vice President of Strategy. With experience in leadership roles at UFC, ONE Championship, and PFL, Mack helped shape some of the world's largest combat sports brands. His arrival signals that BKB is thinking far beyond simply promoting fights—it is building a sustainable international sports business.
The promotion has also attracted attention through an innovative partnership with TikTok, becoming the first bare-knuckle promotion to stream an event directly on the platform. According to MMAmania.com, the preliminary BKB 55 tournament in Cardiff, Wales, reportedly achieved the highest viewership ever recorded for live sports broadcasting on TikTok. The promotion also reported an engagement rate five times higher than what is typically seen with traditional boxing on the platform.
Speaking after the event, BKB CEO David Tetrolt told MMAmania.com: 'Our partnership with TikTok exceeded all expectations. It introduced bare-knuckle boxing to a huge new audience and showed what is possible when a combat sports promotion fully embraces digital platforms. As the first combat sports organization to partner with TikTok, we also hosted the most-watched sporting event in the platform's history. Most importantly, we introduced BKB to tens of millions of people who had never seen our product before.'
While the BKFC model has largely focused on volume and scale—hosting frequent events in multiple countries while gaining exceptional brand recognition, especially in the United States—BKB appears to be focused on premium positioning. The promotion has invested heavily in production quality, storytelling, athlete recruitment, and distinctive branding. Its Triangle immediately sets the viewing experience apart from traditional ring sports, and the carefully selected bouts attract both long-time boxing fans and new combat sports viewers.
This strategy has allowed BKB to generate significant momentum despite hosting considerably fewer events than its main competitor.
BKFC continues to enjoy outstanding global reach through BKFC+, its official website, international broadcast partners like DAZN and Fubo Sports Network, as well as regional on-demand offerings and curated free content on YouTube.
Meanwhile, BKB has built impressive international broadcast reach through premium television and streaming partners, including talkSPORT (UK and Ireland), VICE TV (US and Canada), and Telemundo, giving the promotion access to millions of additional viewers.
It cannot be denied that BKFC remains the largest and most recognizable brand in bare-knuckle boxing. However, based on the recent momentum, executive hires, roster acquisitions, innovative media strategy, and international expansion, there is a strong argument that BKB is on a healthy path.
Ultimately, perhaps the biggest winners are not BKFC or BKB, but bare-knuckle boxing itself. Just a few years ago, many doubted whether this sport could survive. Today, former UFC champions, world boxing champions, and Olympic medalists are actively building careers in bare-knuckle fighting. Television networks continue to invest, social media engagement continues to grow, and fans are embracing a faster and more aggressive version of combat sports. Healthy competition between BKFC and BKB will likely only accelerate this growth.
This weekend, BKFC returns to Sturgis, South Dakota, where BKFC Fight Night Sturgis will take place at the legendary Sturgis Buffalo Chip before a concert by heavy metal icons Megadeth. In the main event, undefeated and ranked middleweight champion Bryant 'Defiant' Acheson (5-0) will face rising star Mike Jones (3-1) in a highly anticipated showdown.
Meanwhile, BKB continues its own international expansion. The promotion recently confirmed two title fights for its historic debut in Mexico on September 19, 2026, live from Tijuana in partnership with Zanfer Promotions, one of Latin America's leading boxing organizations. In the main event, BKB Super Heavyweight Champion Julian Fernandez will defend his title in front of his home crowd against former three-division BKB champion Dan 'Big Pod' Podmor. In the co-main event, Mexican representative Ceci Ulloa will face Andy 'The CrAsian' Nguyen for the vacant BKB Super Lightweight World Championship.
