It’s been a crazy few weeks for recently stripped BKFC champion Franco Tenaglia.
Argentina’s Franco Tenaglia won the BKFC lightweight title in the promotion’s debut in Spain last October when he defeated Tony ‘Loco’ Soto in a fight billed ‘the most vicious in combat sports history’.
Months after the bloodbath, Tenaglia was scheduled to meet Soto in a highly-anticipated rematch in the main event of BKFC Texas in June. However, visa issues forced Tenaglia out of the matchup and an interim champion was crowned in short notice replacement Ben Bonner.
Tenaglia was stripped of the title following his withdrawal for accepting an MMA fight outside of the organization.
Unlike Alberto Blas, the bantamweight champion who was recently stripped and removed from the roster, Tenaglia will get another shot in the BKFC.
Franco Tenaglia vs. Ben Bonner announced for BKFC’s four-man lightweight tournament
On Thursday, the BKFC hosted their biggest press conference ever, the ‘Champions Summit’ featuring Conor McGregor.
McGregor announced a $25M open-weight tournament and the signing of four UFC veterans while president David Feldman broke news regarding the four-man lightweight tournament.
Feldman announced Ben Bonner vs. Franco Tenaglia for the interim lightweight championship and a rematch between former WBA and BKFC champion Austin Trout and one of the greatest bareknuckle boxers of all time, Luis Palomino.
Trout relinquished his BKFC welterweight title so he could fight for a second title at 155 lbs.
As for former champ Tenaglia:
“We had to vacate [Tenaglia’s title] because he did something we didn’t like,” Feldman said of Tenaglia’s entry into the tournament.
Tenaglia’s opponent, interim titleholder, Ben Bonner, defeated Tony Soto via unanimous decision on 8 days’ notice.
The winner of the four-man tournament will be crowned the new undisputed BKFC lightweight champion.
BKFC has four tournaments in the works
The BKFC’s lightweight tournament is just one of the ideas the premier promotion is working on.
Along with the $25M open-weight tournament, which will feature 32 fighters from 185 lbs to 265 lbs, BKFC’s Feldman also announced an all-women tournament.
Get this: Feldman called it the ‘baddest b—-‘ tournament—a unique take on the UFC’s BMF title for the men.
Following champion Alberto Blas’ firing from the company, the BKFC will launch a four-man tournament in the men’s bantamweight division to crown a new champion.
The BKFC also announced equity for its fighters on Thursday.