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Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) is the fastest-growing combat sports promotion in the United States. Founded in 2018 by former professional boxer David Feldman, BKFC is the first legally sanctioned bare knuckle boxing promotion in the United States since 1889 — and its explosive growth has surprised even its most ardent supporters. Here’s everything you need to know about BKFC.

What Is Bare Knuckle Boxing?

Bare knuckle boxing is exactly what it sounds like: boxing without gloves. Fighters wrap their wrists and the base of their knuckles (but not the knuckles themselves) with gauze and tape, then compete in a boxing-style format with rounds, a referee, and three judges scoring the action.

The lack of gloves changes the sport dramatically. Gloves in traditional boxing serve two functions: they protect the person being punched and, perhaps more importantly, they protect the hands of the person punching. Without gloves, fighters must punch more precisely — a full overhand right to the top of a skull can break every bone in a hand. The result is a different kind of fight: tighter, shorter punches, more emphasis on accuracy, and a fighting style that looks different from both traditional boxing and MMA.

BKFC History

David Feldman launched BKFC in June 2018 with a card in Cheyenne, Wyoming. The main event — Bobby Gunn vs. Ricco Rodriguez — drew significant attention, and the promotion was sanctioned by the Wyoming State Board of Mixed Martial Arts.

From that small beginning, BKFC grew rapidly. The promotion secured a television deal with pay-per-view, then built an audience through free TV distribution. The signing of former UFC stars accelerated its mainstream credibility. By 2023, BKFC was running dozens of events per year across the United States and internationally.

BKFC Rules

BKFC follows a specific ruleset that distinguishes it from boxing and MMA:

• No gloves — Fighters compete with wrapped wrists but bare knuckles.
• Rounds — Fights are typically 5 rounds of 2 minutes each.
• The scratch line — Unique to BKFC, fighters begin each round with their lead foot on a “scratch line” in the center of the ring, forcing immediate close-range engagement. No circling away to start the action.
• Clinching limited — Holding and clinching are not permitted and referees break fighters apart quickly.
• The ring — BKFC uses a smaller ring than traditional boxing to force action and prevent fighters from running.
• Elbows prohibited — Unlike MMA, strikes with elbows are not allowed.
• No kicks or takedowns — This is boxing, not MMA.
• Scoring — Three judges score the action on the standard 10-point must system.

Notable BKFC Fighters

Paige VanZant

The former UFC fan favorite signed with BKFC and became its most recognizable name. VanZant’s signing was a watershed moment that introduced millions of casual fans to the promotion. She has faced Rachael Ostovich and Britain Hart in high-profile bouts.

Joey Beltran

The Mexicutioner transitioned from a lengthy UFC career to become one of BKFC’s most entertaining heavyweights. Beltran’s aggressive style translates perfectly to bare knuckle and he has become a fan favorite.

Mike Perry

The former UFC welterweight signed with BKFC after his MMA career and immediately became one of the promotion’s biggest stars. Perry’s aggressive, brawling style is tailor-made for bare knuckle, and his fights consistently deliver entertainment.

Arnold Adams

The long-reigning BKFC Heavyweight Champion, Adams has been the face of the heavyweight division with a dominant championship run that established him as BKFC royalty.

Is Bare Knuckle Fighting Dangerous?

The instinctive answer is yes — but the reality is more nuanced. Several factors affect the injury profile of bare knuckle boxing compared to traditional boxing:

• Facial cuts — More common in BKFC due to the harder impact surface. Fights are stopped more frequently for cuts.
• Concussions — Some researchers suggest that the weight of boxing gloves — which adds momentum to punches — may actually increase rotational brain forces more than bare knuckle punches. The shorter, more precise punches of bare knuckle fighting may produce less rotational acceleration of the brain.
• Hand injuries — Fighters are incentivized not to throw wild punches, which may reduce some types of hand injuries. However, bone bruising and minor fractures are still relatively common.
• Fighter protection — BKFC employs physicians and referees trained in recognizing when fights should be stopped.

The sport is not without risk — no combat sport is. But the common perception that bare knuckle fighting is significantly more dangerous than boxing is not supported by the available evidence.

How to Watch BKFC

BKFC events are available through multiple platforms. Major events are typically available on pay-per-view, while selected events are broadcast on cable networks. The BKFC app provides access to their library of fights and live streaming of events.

The promotion runs events regularly throughout the year across the United States and internationally. Their schedule can be found at their official website.

BKFC vs. Boxing vs. MMA: What’s the Difference?

Each sport has its own character. Boxing is a technical sport emphasizing footwork, distance management, and combination punching. MMA is a complete sport that allows striking, wrestling, and submissions on the feet and on the ground. BKFC sits between them in some ways — it’s a pure striking sport like boxing, but the scratch line and small ring force a more immediate, intimate kind of violence. Fights often involve fighters pressing their foreheads together as they exchange punches at close range — a style that is uniquely BKFC.

For fans who love the raw, unfiltered essence of combat, BKFC delivers something different from both. It’s growing, it’s legitimate, and it’s here to stay.