BKFC 72: A Night of Thrilling Bare-Knuckle Action in Dubai

Exciting Bare-Knuckle Fighting Event in Dubai

Dubai recently hosted the electrifying BKFC 72, a bare-knuckle fighting event organized by the World League of Fighters in collaboration with the Dubai Sports Council. The event showcased a series of remarkable knockouts and impressive performances.

The Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium was packed with fans as notable figures like BKFC President David Feldman, MMA superstar Conor McGregor, and World League of Fighters Co-Founders Rajesh Banga and Sunil Mathew graced the occasion, as reported by the World League of Fighters.

In the headline bout, 'King' Kai Stewart successfully defended his BKFC World Men's Featherweight Championship for the fourth time. Stewart showcased his dominance by landing 156 punches out of 202 attempts, while his opponent, South African Tommy 'The Farmer' Strydom, managed to land only 53 out of 112. This striking disparity led to Stewart knocking Strydom down twice, ultimately winning by unanimous decision with all judges scoring it 50-43.

Stewart, now boasting an undefeated record of 8-0, declared after his victory, 'I cleaned out the 145-pound division. I break everybody!'

The co-main event featured a dramatic moment as Jessica 'The Black Widow' Borga from the USA claimed the inaugural BKFC World Women's Featherweight Championship. She achieved this with a single, powerful punch that knocked out former boxing champion Hannah 'The Classical Warrior' Rankin from the UK just 32 seconds into the first round.

Borga landed 18 of her 22 punches, while Rankin connected with only 7 of her 14 attempts before the knockout. This victory improved Borga's BKFC record to 3-0, solidifying her status as a formidable competitor in women's bare-knuckle fighting.

In a stunning debut, Russia's Vladislav Tuinov defeated Belgium's Sabri Ben Henia in just 26 seconds, landing 3 of 5 punches, with one decisive strike ending the fight before Ben Henia could connect effectively.

Spain's Nico 'The Iron' Gaffie pulled off a significant upset against Brandon 'Superman' Allen, the second-ranked featherweight contender. Gaffie's relentless offense sent Allen to the canvas four times, with both fighters throwing 93 punches each. Gaffie landed 41 punches compared to Allen's 29, leading to a technical knockout victory in the fourth round with just one second remaining.

Welsh fighter John Phillips showcased his skills in the cruiserweight division, dominating Brazilian veteran Fabio Maldonado. Phillips landed 29 punches while Maldonado managed 19, allowing Phillips to knock Maldonado down twice before the referee halted the match just 29 seconds into the second round.

In the welterweight category, Aaron Chalmers secured a victory over fellow Englishman Chasa Symonds in the third round, landing 25 of 63 punches compared to Symonds' 15 of 47. After dropping Symonds twice, the fight was stopped 16 seconds into the third round.

In the heavyweight division, Iran's Hassan Yousefi triumphed over Brazilian Guto Inocente by unanimous decision. In a closely contested match, Yousefi landed 83 of 142 punches, while Inocente connected with 54 of 102 attempts, leading to scores of 50-45, 50-45, and 49-46 from the judges.

The preliminary card featured two rapid finishes: Filipino lightweight Mark Angel Sadang defeated Iranian Matin Safari in just 1 minute and 27 seconds of the first round, while Kazakh featherweight Dilshat Nurym stopped Russian Shamil Dzhakhbarov in only 1 minute and 23 seconds.

MMA icon Conor McGregor, whose collaboration with the World League of Fighters has been pivotal in promoting bare-knuckle fighting in the region, expressed his pride in the event. 'I’m so proud of our warriors and combatants win, lose or draw who have put on an amazing spectacle across this two-day extravaganza in Dubai,' McGregor stated.

He further emphasized, 'This event showcases what World League of Fighters and BKFC represent: pure combat and true heart.' McGregor also noted, 'There are many big shows worldwide, but this is the most thrilling combat sport on the planet today. There’s no such thing as a boring fight in BKFC; every moment is explosive, raw, and real.'

Rajesh Banga, Co-Founder of World League of Fighters, remarked, 'The partnership between BKFC and World League of Fighters continues to deliver exceptional combat sports entertainment to fans globally.' He concluded, 'This event wraps up an exciting two-day fighting showcase in Dubai, establishing the city as a key destination for combat sports worldwide.'

The success of BKFC 72 in Dubai marks another milestone for the World League of Fighters in their mission to expand bare-knuckle fighting across international markets, uniting top athletes from diverse fighting backgrounds.