BKFC on DAZN Hollywood is less than 48 hours away. With no UFC or MMA scheduled on the last weekend before the Christmas holiday, although the combat sports trimmings may be minimal at this time of year, the hits will keep on coming.
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, FL, near Ft. Lauderdale, is the site for the bare-knuckle boxing event this coming Saturday as part of a day-night doubleheader of boxing action.
Before BKFC action begins Saturday night, Oleksandr Usyk vs. Tyson Fury II will be held on DAZN PPV in the afternoon at 1 pm ET/ 10 am PT from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Live coverage of BKFC on DAZN Hollywood begins at 7 pm ET/ 4 pm PT on DAZN with the undercard before moving onto main card action at 8 pm ET/ 5 pm PT. All told, barring any 11th-hour adjustments between now and Saturday, the final version of the show features 11 bouts. All fights on BKFC on DAZN Hollywood are advertised maximums of five rounds at two minutes per round.
Carvalho Fight Scrubbed Ahead of BKFC on DAZN Hollywood
A planned contest between Bellator alumnus Rafael Carvalho (17-8 MMA, 0-0 bare-knuckle) and Gilberto Fuentes (1-0 bare-knuckle) in the cruiserweight division was postponed from the event after Carvalho was signed to the active roster of the new Global Fight League. The GFL will launch its new season in April after a selection meeting late next month.
Despite the loss of the Carvalho vs. Fuentes fight, BKFC is trotting out an amazing main card for its 2024 finale.
IT'S OFFICIAL! Watch the free prelims live at 7PM EST on BKFC+ App, DAZN, Fubo Sports or Youtube followed by the main card exclusively on DAZN!
Order Here: https://t.co/p1DCw3wFNr pic.twitter.com/wKIL2qPRF2— Bare Knuckle FC (@bareknucklefc) December 19, 2024
Light Heavyweight Gold at Stake in BKFC on DAZN Hollywood Main Event
To cap the activity this coming Saturday night, the BKFC Light Heavyweight Championship is up for grabs in the main event of the evening. Incumbent 185-lb titleholder Jared Warren (7-2, 1 NC bare-knuckle), who went 1-2 in MMA, puts his light heavyweight strap on the line when he squares off against challenger and No. 5 contender Mike Richman (6-2 bare-knuckle), who sported an 18-8 career MMA record.
Champion Jared Warren enters the headlining affair in the Sunshine State this weekend having posted a record of 4-0 with one no-contest over the course of his last five matches. Currently, he’s on a five-fight unbeaten streak dating back to July of 2022.
Most recently, Warren took the 185-lb division’s championship by way of unanimous decision over Jomi Escoboza (9-2 bare-knuckle) on June 21 during the BKFC 62 main card on Triller TV in June from the selfsame Seminole Hard Rock Casino where BKFC on DAZN Hollywood will be held on Saturday. Will his return visit to Florida be just as successful as the one he took this past summer?
In the other corner, Mike Richman, the No. 5 contender at 185 has gone 3-2 in his last five fights. Back in April of this year, Richman snapped a two-bout losing streak with a fifth-round knockout victory over Erick Lozano (2-3 bare-knuckle) during BKFC Fight Night in Clearwater Beach.
With Richman having gone eight-plus months between fights, can he run his winning streak to two in a row? Tune in on Saturday evening and find out.
Women’s Flyweight Championship Focus of BKFC on DAZN Hollywood Co-Main Event
Immediately beforehand, the co-main event of the evening sees the focus shift to action from the women’s flyweight division. Current champion Christine Ferea (9-1 bare-knuckle), who inaugurated the 125-lb title in February of 2022, will meet up with challenger and No. 2 contender Christine Vicens (3-0 bare-knuckle) in the co-headlining fight.
Ferea enters this weekend’s card on a seven-fight winning streak dating back to BKFC 12 in 2020. Last time out, the champion defended her belt with a split decision victory after 10 minutes against Jade Masson-Wong (3-2 bare-knuckle) back in September during BKFC 65’s headlining affair.
In the other corner, Christine Vicens has yet to lose thus far in her bare-knuckle career. Most recently, she bested Melanie Shah (2-2 bare-knuckle) by way of first-round TKO after Shah’s cornermen threw in the towel at the end of the period during BKFC 62.
Vicens has only seen the judges’ scorecards once so far in her career. Will she get the job done inside the distance this time in the BKFC on DAZN Hollywood co-main event?
Heavyweights Go To Battle Saturday Night
In nontitle action, BKFC on DAZN Hollywood presents a contest in the heavyweight ranks when Leonardo Perdomo (5-0 bare-knuckle) knuckles up against Levi da Costa (2-2 bare-knuckle), a veteran of Combate Global. Perdomo has gone undefeated so far in his bare-knuckle career.
Last time out, he needed just 44 seconds to stop Steve Banks (3-2 bare-knuckle). Heading into his sixth career BKFC appearance, Perdomo has yet to so much as see the second round of a scheduled five.
Across the way, Levi da Costa has gone 2-2 so far in bare-knuckle boxing with a 2-0 record under the BKFC promotional banner. Back in May of 2024, he sustained a first-round knockout at the hands of Gustavo Trujillo.
Will a return to BKFC serve Levi da Costa well in BKFC on DAZN Hollywood this weekend?