Recently, there was a whirlwind of controversy surrounding BKFC champion Franco Tenaglia, who was stripped of his title. The Argentine fighter claimed the BKFC lightweight championship during his debut in Spain last October. Following that, Tenaglia was slated to face Tony Soto in a highly anticipated rematch at BKFC Texas in June. However, visa complications forced him out, and interim champ Ben Bonner stepped in. Later, Tenaglia lost his title for deciding to take an MMA fight outside BKFC. Unlike bantamweight champ Alberto Brass, who lost his title and was removed from the roster, Tenaglia will have another opportunity to compete in BKFC.
At a recent Champions Summit featuring Conor McGregor, BKFC president David Feldman revealed a $25 million open-weight tournament along with the signing of four UFC veterans. Feldman announced a rematch between interim lightweight champ Ben Bonner and Franco Tenaglia, as well as a bout between former WBA and BKFC champ Austin Trout and legendary bare-knuckle boxer Louis Palomino. Trout willingly gave up his welterweight title to compete at 155 pounds. Feldman noted that Tenaglia’s past actions led to the temporary vacancy of his title.
Ben Bonner earned the interim crown by defeating Tony Soto on short notice, and the upcoming four-fighter tournament will crown an undisputed BKFC lightweight champion. This lightweight tournament is just one example of BKFC’s innovative ideas, which include a $25 million open-weight contest and an all-women’s tournament dubbed the “baddest b- tournament,” a nod to UFC’s BMF titles. Meanwhile, following Alberto Brass’s exit, BKFC will also host a four-man bantamweight tournament to crown a new champion. Fighter pay equity was also addressed in the summit.
Fan Take: This shake-up in BKFC clarifies the lightweight division and creates hype with fresh tournament formats, bringing excitement and legit competition back to bare-knuckle fighting. For fight fans, it signals BKFC’s ambition to grow and innovate within combat sports, possibly setting new standards for fighter opportunities and fan engagement.
