Austin Trout is swiftly becoming one of the flagship operators in bare-knuckle boxing, keeping his unblemished record intact following a dominant display against Rico Franco.
His one-sided victory arrived yesterday in Spain, where the former boxing world champion retained his welterweight title on a stacked show promoted by the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship.
Trout was, in fact, able to secure a landslide decision on the judges’ scorecards, with all three scoring the bout 50-43 in his favor.
And now, the 39-year-old has seemingly captured the imagination of combat sports fans, with his future in BKFC – co-owned by UFC star Conor McGregor – looking set to deliver fireworks.
BKFC fans praise Austin Trout for his victory over Rico Franco
As a former professional boxer, it is perhaps unsurprising that Trout has transitioned to bare-knuckle fighting remarkably well.
The American is most notably known for getting floored and outpointed by Mexican star Canelo Alvarez over a decade ago, suffering the first defeat of his decorated boxing career.
Nevertheless, Trout was always a highly capable campaigner at the world level of his sport, losing only to the elite champions in his division.
But now, it seems as though he is beginning to forge a new legacy, with fans of BKFC already tipping him for greatness.
One fan reacted to his unanimous decision victory over Franco on social media, saying: “[Trout] is becoming so fun to watch on BKFC man, it’s good to see him still doing what he does.
“I want to see more – quite frankly it’s been not fair with his experience in boxing. I’m all for it; it’s been entertaining to watch.”
Another fan added: “Best Pound for Pound in BKFC for me.”
Could Austin Trout face Canelo Alvarez in BKFC?
Following his comprehensive outing, where he out-boxed Franco for large spells of their contest, Trout has extended his BKFC record to 3-0.
But still, some would argue that he is yet to face a top contender, with his three victories coming up against a relatively limited level of opposition.
That could all change, of course, if he succeeds in tempting Canelo, his former foe, into a lucrative rematch without the gloves.
However, while BKFC founder David Feldman has expressed an interest in the potential matchup, there has still been no response from the super middleweight boxing king.