Since the company’s inception in 2018, the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship has become one of the world’s fastest-growing televised sports. As such, a host of premier fighting talent has jumped ship to scrap it out under David Feldman’s BKFC banner in recent years.
Case in point, just last month, former UFC and Invicta star, the beautiful and deadly Pearl Gonzalez signed to BKFC.
The Chi-Town Princess boasts a 10-5 MMA record and is well-known to fight fans the world over. She’s much more than just a total badass in the Octagon, though. Gonzalez hosts the Extra Rounds show and commentates for the Ikon Fighting Federation (both on the excellent UFC Fight Pass). Plus, fight fans agree that she’s one of the most attractive women on God’s green earth, which doesn’t hurt either.
Anyway, teenage fanboying aside, the acquisition of such a stellar name as Gonzalez has to be seen as a real coup for David Feldman’s BKFC. It should come as little surprise, then, that the company president is so eager to get her in the ring, right?
Well, it seems Feldman has had the Brooklyn native dot the I’s and cross the T’s! Pearl Gonzalez’s first fight for Bare Knuckle FC has been greenlit!
MMA Star Pearl Gonzalez’s Debut BKFC Bout
Pearl ‘Chi-Town Princess’ Gonzalez will square off against Charisa ‘Sweetheart’ Sigala at BKFC 18 on June 26, in Miami Florida!
In case you missed it, Charisa Sigala’s last fight vs. Taylor Starling at Knucklemania earlier this year has been touted as one of the greatest bouts in the history of the sport. So, boxing & BJJ specialist Gonzalez will need to be at her very best to emerge with a W in her debut.
Regardless of who wins the fight on the night, Pearl ‘Chi-Town Princess’ Gonzalez vs. Charisa ‘Sweetheart’ Sigala promises to be another epic showcase event to add to what was already a stacked lineup at BKFC 18.
The card already featured an incredible FOUR title fights for fans of the sport to get their teeth into!
See for yourself…
Thiago “Pitbull” Alves vs Uly Diaz – Middleweight Title
Image courtesy of BKFC
BKFC 18’s main card will get underway with the huge inaugural middleweight title fight that pits former UFC star Thiago Alves up against Uly Diaz.
Alves’s first bare-knuckle bout vs Julian Lane was an absolute war and well worth watching if you haven’t already. Pitbull emerged with a split decision victory that night, though both men were winners in my opinion. It was just one of those fights!
Sitting pretty at 2-0, Alves opponent, Uly Diaz, is yet to taste defeat in the bare-knuckle ring. The Florida native knocked Donelei Benedetto out cold inside three seconds in his last outing at BKFC14.
Luis Palomino vs Tyler Goodjohn – Lightweight Title
Image courtesy of BKFC
Luis Palomino is the current BKFC lightweight titleholder. The Peruvian-American is set to duke out it out with Britain’s Tyler Goodjohn in what should be an absolute barnburner.
Palomino last fought when he defended his strap against Jim Alers at BKFC 14. On that night he slept his opponent with a well-placed right hook in the very first round.
Tyler Goodjohn returned to bare-knuckle boxing in December when he made his promotional and American debut at BKFC15. The Oxfordshire-born fighter almost had to retire from the fight game altogether after he suffered a broken jaw at the hands of a ‘friend.’ But, following a successful stint in the porno industry, the always capable Goodjohn is back and is expected to be a worthy opponent.
Hector Lombard vs. Joe Riggs – Cruiserweight Title
Image courtesy of BKFC
The co-main event of the evening is set to be another inaugural title fight between two former, veteran UFC stars: Hector Lombard vs Joe Riggs.
Bare Knuckle FC originally scheduled Riggs vs. Lombard for February 2020. But, late in the day, Riggs withdrew from the event due to an eye injury sustained in training. Instead, Lombard ended up scoring a decision win over David Mundell. The Cuban-Australian followed that up with a TKO win over former Bellator star Kendall Grove at BKFC12 in the autumn.
As a result of his withdrawal from BKFC 10, Riggs hasn’t fought for the promotion at all since his 2019 match-up with Walber Barros, a fight that ended in a unanimous draw.
With 35 years of combined experience between them, and victories over the likes of Nate Marquardt, Jake Shields (Lombard), and Nick Diaz (Riggs) on their records, this one promises to be a real spectacle for the Florida fight fans in attendance.
Joey Beltran vs. Sam Shewmaker – Heavyweight Title
Image courtesy of BKFC
The main event of the evening is the heavyweight championship bout between Joey Beltran and Sam Shewmaker.
Joey Beltran is the man holding the bare-knuckle FC strap. He will look to defend his title for a second time, following the TKO defeat he inflicted on Marcel Stamps in October of last year.
The last man to share the ring with Beltran’s opponent Sam Shewmaker was Bobo O’Bannon in December 2020. Shewmaker did away with his game opponent without much fuss, picking up a TKO win in the first round.
Both Beltran and Shewmaker throw down hell for leather. So, make sure you don’t pop to the bathroom at the start of the bout – it more than probably won’t last very long!
BKFC 18 promises to be an absolutely epic night of action, especially with the Gonzalez vs. Sigala bout having been added to the card.
Is COVID over yet? I need to get my pasty axx over to Miami!
