The world of bare-knuckle boxing represents fighting in its purest, most old-school format yet the sport may be set to boom in the modern age due to the recent intervention of Conor McGregor. With more eyes on the bare-knuckle game, one former boxing world champion has crossed over and is set to debut next month.
Earlier this year, former WBA welterweight champion Austin Trout secured a fourth-round knockout over Diego Sanchez to pick up the BKFC (Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship) welterweight title in just his second bout with the franchise.
Since then, UFC sensation McGregor has become a part owner of BKFC in the hopes of taking the sport to the next level and possibly rivalling the likes of traditional boxing and the UFC in the future.
Next month, McGregor will be in attendance as BKFC stages an event in Spain for the first time and Austin Trout attempts to make a first defence of his world title against Rico ‘BonBon’ Franco.
This scrap will be a part of a mammoth card that features three world title contests, including a light-heavyweight showdown between David Mundell and Danny Christie, as well as a lightweight title affair involving Franco Tenaglia and Tony ‘Loco’ Soto – which is favoured over Trout’s fight as the main-event.
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However, Trout will not be the only world champion boxer to appear on the undercard, with Scotland’s former WBA and IBO super-welterweight conqueror Hannah Rankin poised to take on against Sahey Bayat, both women being debutants.
Rankin, nicknamed as ‘The Classical Warrior’, defeated Sweden’s Maria Lindberg back in 2021 for both the WBA and IBO crowns and has faced some of the pillars of women’s boxing during her time in the ring, coming up short against each of Claressa Shields, Patricia Berghult, Savannah Marshall and Terri Harper.
The Scotswoman will hope to replicate the success of Austin Trout and make a surge for the BKFC featherweight strap in the near future and may find herself challenging for the vacant belt sooner rather than later if she can overcome Iranian kickboxer Bayat.
The full BKFC card will take place at the Marbella Arena in Spain, a venue more accustomed to staging bull-fighting events, on October 12th and will be available to watch live on DAZN.
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