Bare-knuckle boxing making a comeback?

On June 2, in Cheyenne Wyoming, Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship will host the first first legal bare-knuckle boxing event in 131 years. According to MMAFighting who spoke with promoter Dave Feldman, it will feature multiple former UFC and Bellator fighters and current pro boxers.

“It truly is the first legal, sanctioned bare-knuckle fighting event in the United States since 1889.”

Wyoming recently passed the ruling that sanctioned bare-knuckle fighting in Wyoming. Feldman hopes other states will follow suit. The rules state that fighters will sport only hand wraps that end one inch from the knuckles.

The card will feature Bare Knuckle Heavyweight champion Bobby Gunn, former UFC champion Ricco Rodriguez, former UFC and Bellator fighter Joe Riggs, kickboxer Maurice Jackson, former Bellator heavyweight Eric Prindle and former UFC fighters D.J. Linderman and Johnny Bedford.

OF course, fighters will be divided by weight class in a way similar to other combat sports. One interesting digression from the traditional rules of boxing is that clinch-fighting will be entertained in the bare-knuckle rules. Famously, boxing has moved further away from clinching in the past few years, with fighters like Floyd Mayweather using the clinch to end unfavorable engagements – relying on the ref to separate fighters.

“Those are people who are fans of MMA and participants in MMA and they love combat sports and they all love bare knuckle. We’re just supporting our own people by supporting bare knuckle. I think it speaks to Wyoming’s own Western independence to go first with this. We’re excited to host. We just have to someone believe in the sport and go first and I’m proud that Wyoming is that state.”

The event will air on pay-per-view for $29.99 and tickets to watch live are available at bareknuckle.tv, starting at $50.

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