Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship walked the Road to Knucklemania once before. A rousing success, the first Knucklemania was BKFC’s opening salvo of 2021, and it paved the way for more than a dozen shows in the calendar year.
Knucklemania is back in 2022, and the stars are out again for Knucklemania 2 at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida on February 19th. BKFC celebrates the beginning of its fifth year by offering two championship bouts, two grudge matches and a bare knuckle card stuffed with familiar names.
Headlining the huge card, Mike “Platinum” Perry settles unfinished business with Julian “Nitrane” Lane in the first grudge match. The middleweights engaged in an altercation at BKFC Fight Night Tampa in December of 2021 just as Perry was settling in at the commentating table for an interview. Since then, words between the two have only gotten more vitriolic, ensuring an explosive meeting between the two at Knucklemania 2.
“I can’t wait for a fair opportunity,” said Perry, 1-0 in another bare knuckle organization. “No guard rails between us, just open space. I’m gonna pop his *ss and the ref’s gonna step right in.”
“I think I gave [Perry] stitches in his mouth,” Lane, 4-5, laughed. “He’s not even half of what Thiago Alves is. I’m the upset king. We’re gonna call it like Ali-Liston. The first minute of the first round, Mike Perry’s going down.”
In the co-feature, Luis “Baboon” Palomino aims to make the fourth defense of his BKFC lightweight title against Martin “Trey” Brown. With Palomino at 5-0 and Brown sporting a 3-0 record, someone will be exiting the Squared Circle with a defeat after this 155-pound dustup.
“I’m headhunting,” Palomino salivated during Ungloved: The Road to Knucklemania 2, Episode 1. “I wanna knock somebody out.”
“He better be 100% when he gets in there with me,” Brown said. “Because one mistake, I’m gonna knock his little *ss out.”
A long-awaited rematch between Britain Hart and Christine “Misfit” Ferea combines a grudge match with a title fight, however, as the two meet for the BKFC women’s flyweight championship. Since their first fight nearly three years ago, both fighters have learned and sharpened their skills. Hart is undefeated in that time, while Ferea has lost once and promises to repeat her victory over the budding BKFC star.
“I know I’m never gonna win a decision,” Ferea told BKFC. “I don’t trust the judges. I don’t trust my career in someone else’s hands. I’m finishing every opponent. I’d rather get knocked out than go to a decision.”
For Hart, it’s more than just her career. Hart not only feels personally disrespected by Ferea, but she says the opportunity to face a previous conqueror for the title is destiny.
“I just want respect,” Hart stated. “[Ferea] trashed me and said Paige [VanZant] was gonna whoop my *ss, I proved her wrong. Everyone said Jenny Savage was gonna whoop my *ss, I proved her wrong. Then she said, ‘Pearl Gonzalez is gonna walk through Britain.’ Surprisingly she said I did well [against Gonzalez] while commentating, then later she basically suggested she agreed Pearl was robbed. I just can’t wait to set the record straight on February 19th.”
Former UFC star Chad “Money” Mendes also makes his bare knuckle debut at lightweight against Joshua Alvarez, aka Famez, who is 1-1 in BKFC and 2-0 in professional boxing. Mendes, a heavy puncher, fights for the first time in three years, while Famez looks to rebound from a decision loss to Arthur Walcott Ceesay at BKFC 22.
Emerging undefeated middleweight Francesco Ricchi tangles with former mixed martial artist Jake “Brutal” Bostwick on the undercard. Ricchi, an Italian import, is 3-0 with all three victories coming by stoppage. Bostwick, a 1-1 bare knuckle brawler from London, looks to bring an end to Ricchi’s streak and propel himself into middleweight contendership.
Also on the undercard, undefeated light heavyweight Jomi Escoboza joins BKFC following six wins and a title in another bare knuckle organization, and takes on 2-1 BKFC staple Zion Tomlinson. Escoboza might know bare knuckle, but Tomlinson will give him a proper BFKC introduction.
Last, for now, a battle of two UFC veterans Brian Foster and Robbie Peralta rounds out the fights scheduled. Peralta, 2-0 in bare knuckle, welcomes Foster, who makes his BKFC debut after more than 40 professional mixed martial arts bouts. This lightweight clash merely adds to the depth of BKFC’s lightweight division.
Seven fights, seven chances for Knucklemania to shine again—and card additions to come.
Stay tuned for Knucklemania 2 card updates, interviews and more!
Don’t forget to check out Ungloved: The Road to Knucklemania 2 Episode 1 and Episode 2!
Order and watch Knucklemania 2 for only $4.99 at 7pm Eastern/4pm Pacific on February 19th by clicking here.
