Are you ready for KnuckleMania?!
Bare Knuckle FC has a big event coming to you from Tampa, FL tonight (Feb. 5) just 48 hours before the Super Bowl. In the main event, Britain Hart welcomes former UFC contender Paige VanZant to the world of bare knuckle boxing. Fellow UFC veterans Johnny Bedford and Chris Leben are also on this card in separate bouts.
We will provide live coverage of the main event, with the Fite.tv pay-per-view kicking off at 9 PM ET. There’s a preliminary card live stream at 8 PM ET/5 PM PT if you want to check that out as well.
Bout Order
PPV – 9 PM ET
MAIN EVENT: Paige VanZant vs. Britain Hart RD 1: They’re circling for a while before they finally start throwing. They clinch up quick. PVZ dirty boxing with a half Thai plum. They break. Hart runs in with a hook. PVZ lands a couple. Hart answers. Hart steps in, lands some rights. Stole the round. 10-9 Hart.
RD 2: PVZ lands with a right. Hart firing back. Catches PVZ coming in. Hart starting to stalk. PVZ lands a hook to the jaw. PVZ gets the clinch but Hart lands more in the position. PVZ is getting worked in the clinch. Break. Hart lands a right. PVZ jabs. Hart lands again. 20-18 Hart.
RD 3: Hart landing at range. They clinch. Hart better inside. Hart eats a shot, answers. PVZ getting a little busted up. Overhand right from Hart. They are spinning in the clinch when the bell rings. 30-27 Hart.
RD 4: PVZ stalking. Jabs into the clinch. More grappling than punching. Break. Hart lands a hard right uppercut. Hart’s nose bloody. Hart cutting off the ring. They get into a clinch. More of a judo clinch than boxing. Break. Jab jab cross and a big right from Hart. 40-36 Hart
RD 5: Hart keeping her jab in PVZ’s face. PVZ comes in but eats a right. PVZ swinging hooks. Lands twice. They clinch, Hart doing all the scoring inside. PVZ finally lands an uppercut in the clinch. PVZ throwing hart and landing combos. Hart with a right. Back to the clinch. PVZ came closer but still lost the round. 50-45 Hart.
BKFC Knucklemania Results: Britain Hart def. Paige VanZant via Unanimous Decision (49-46×3)
135lb TITLE FIGHT: Johnny Bedford vs. Dat Nguyen RD 1: Bedford jabbing to open. Now he’s forcing the clinch. They break. Bedford is landing jabs. Lots and lots of missed punches in wild exchanges. They trade in the phone booth and Nguyen finally starts to land. Bedford slips. Nguyen cracking to the body. Nguyen coming in behind a hook. They are clinching like MMA fighters. Round over. I have it for Bedford 10-9.
RD 2: More swinging and missing to open. Clinch. Bedford lands a 1-2. More clinching. Stats show Nguyen is landing less than 30% of his shots, Bedford more than 40%. They fall and ref breaks them. Nguyen leads with an uppercut. He’s landing. Bedford cracks him back. They’re trading and landing more now. Bedford with a choke in the clinch. Nguyen warned for not throwing in the clinch. Giving Nguyen that round brings us to 19-19 after 2.
RD 3: Bedford coming in swinging. Landing. They clinch. Ref breaks ‘em up. Nguyen warned for fingers to the throat. They trade, clinch, ref breaks. Repeat. Bedford with an overhand right. Nguyen to the body. Another one for Nguyen on my card. 29-28.
RD 4: Bedford lands a couple hard ones early in the round. Forcing the clinch. Dirty boxing when ref breaks it up because Belfort is holding the ropes. Nguyen landing some odd combinations, leading with the left uppercut. Both men seem tired. More clinching. They trade on the re-start. Nguyen wiffs with a hook. Bedford took that one, evening it up at 38-38.
RD 5: Bedford jabbing to open. Nguyen hooks the body. Double jab from Nguyen. Ref calls time to trim Bedford’s wraps. Nguyen 1-1-2, Bedford answering with his right. Guillotine choke from Bedford. Bedford landing hard. Nguyen unmarked. Bedford landing at range. Nguyen lands with an overhand right. And a jab. 1-1-2 and a 1-2 for Nguyen. They’re trading in the center of the ring as time runs out. Bedford with a late jab. I score the round and the fight for Nguyen. We’ll see what the judges say.
BKFC Knucklemania Results: Dat Nguyen def. Johnny Bedford via Unanimous Decision ( 48-47×2, 49-46). Nguyen becomes BKFC 135lb champ!
Nguyen calls out Joey Beltran after the fight.
FEATURE FIGHT: Chris Leben Vs. Quentin Henry RD 1: Leben pacing furiously in the ring before his retirement fight. Henry lands first but charges in and Leben lands some effective dirty boxing. They break and Henry’s down. No idea why. Eye poke? Henry says “I can’t see. I was poked in the eye. It’s all black.” Replay shows Leben landing clean uppercuts right on the eye. If Henry can’t continue this should be a clean TKO. Refs and judges agree. Henry is going to continue. Henry charging forward. They tie up and trade vicious dirty boxing. Now they’re trading in the telephone booth and Leben eats a big shot, eats it and drops Henry! It’s over! Chris Leben wins his retirement fight.
BKFC Knucklemania Results: Chris Leben def. Quentin Henry via TKO at 1:07 of RD 1.
BKFC Knucklemania Results: Martin Brown def. Zach Zane via TKO at 1:28 of RD 2
BKFC Knucklemania Results: Lorenzo Hunt def. Rob Morrow via KO at 2:00 of RD 4
BKFC Knucklemania Results: John Chalbeck def. Greg Bono via KO at 0:20 of Round Three
BKFC Knucklemania Results: Taylor Starling def. Charisa Sigala via Unanimous Decision (50-42×2, 49-44)
BKFC Knucklemania Results: Dillon Cleckler def. Chris Jensen via KO at 0:24 of RD 1
Charisa Sigala vs. Taylor Starling — Starling def. Sigala by unanimous decision (50-43 x2, 49-44)
Prelims – 8 PM ET
BKFC Knucklemania Results: Haim Gozali def. John McAllister via KO at 1:08 of RD 2
BKFC Knucklemania Results: Travis Thompson def. David Morgan via TKO at 0:22 of RD 2
BKFC Knucklemania Results: Jarod Grant def. Brandon Lambert via TKO at 1:11 of RD 3
Prelims Live Stream
PPV Live Stream
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