2026 in Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship: Difference between revisions

Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship in 2026

The year 2026 is the ninth year in the history of the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship, a bare-knuckle fighting promotion based in Philadelphia.

The 2026 season started with BKFC 86 Mohegan Sun: Lane vs. Pague on January 17, 2026.

BKFC 86 Mohegan Sun: Lane vs. Pague (also known as BKFC on DAZN 9) was a bare-knuckle fighting event held by Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship on January 17, 2026.^[1]

A BKFC Welterweight Championship bout between current champion Julian Lane and Dustin Pague headlined the event.^[1] Former WBO junior lightweight boxing champion Jamel Herring made his debut against Matt Guymon.^[2]

BKFC 86 Mohegan Sun: Lane vs. Pague[3]
Weight Class				Method	Round	Time	Notes
Welterweight 75 kg	Dustin Pague	def.	Julian Lane (c)	Decision (unanimous)	6	2:00	For the BKFC Welterweight Championship. The fight went to a sixth overtime round. 57-56, 57-56, 57-56.
Bantamweight 61 kg	Jamel Herring	def.	Matt Guymon	Decision (unanimous)	5	2:00	50-43, 50-43, 50-43
Welterweight 75 kg	Ramiro Figueroa	def.	Dalvin Blair	Decision (unanimous)	5	2:00	49-46, 49-46, 48-47
Lightweight 70 kg	Rico DiSciullo	def.	Ashton Caniglia	KO	2	0:26
Heavyweight 120 kg	Guilherme Viana	def.	Juan Figuerva	KO	1	1:59
Heavyweight 120 kg	Ras Hylton	def.	Branko Busick	TKO	5	1:53
Lightweight 70 kg	Trey Martin	def.	Nathan Ghareeb	Decision (split)	5	2:00	47-48, 48-47, 49-46
Featherweight 66 kg	Joey Gambino	def.	Kurtis Ellis	TKO	2	1:08
Preliminary Card
Featherweight 66 kg	Brandon Meneses	def.	Zach Pannell	TKO	1	0:55
Bantamweight 61 kg	Jared Lennon	vs.	Chachi Versace	Draw	5	2:00	48-46, 46-48, 47-47

BKFC Knucklemania VI is an upcoming bare-knuckle fighting event held by Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship on February 7, 2026.^[4]

A BKFC World Heavyweight Championship bout between champion Ben Rothwell and former UFC Heavyweight Champion Andrei Arlovski is scheduled to take place at the event.^[5] The two previously met twice in mixed martial arts: first in July 2008 at Affliction: Banned, where Arlovski won by third‑round knockout, and again in July 2019 at UFC on ESPN: dos Anjos vs. Edwards, where Arlovski earned a unanimous decision victory.^[5]

A heavyweight bout between current BKFC Light Heavyweight World Champion (also former Cruiserweight World Champion) Lorenzo Hunt and former UFC Middleweight Championship challenger Yoel Romero (also former Bellator Light Heavyweight World Championship challenger) was scheduled to serve as the co-main event.^[5] However, Romero became ill with the flu and was replaced by current BKFC Middleweight Champion in what will now be a non-title 199 lb catchweight bout.^[6]

Matthew Semelsberger was scheduled to fight Prince Nyseam but he was forced to pull out of the fight due to severe neck pain and was replaced by Brett Shoenfelt.^[7]

BKFC Fight Night Mohegan Sun: Porter vs. Watson is an upcoming bare-knuckle fighting event to be held by Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship on March 28, 2026.^[8]

A heavyweight bout between Parker Porter and Josh Watson is scheduled to headline the event.^[8]