With no UFC on the schedule this coming Saturday night, what is a combat sports fan to do? Thankfully, BKFC KnuckleMania V is upon us this upcoming weekend. While MMA’s No. 1 organization will be idle this final weekend of January, the schedule will still be busy with fights from day until night.
BKFC KnuckleMania V is the 2025 edition of the bare-knuckle boxing promotion’s signature annual show. While the East Coast is coming out of a cold snap as this week progresses, the bare-knuckle boxing action will be red hot once Saturday night rolls around.
This year’s version of BKFC KnuckleMania sets up shop inside Philadelphia’s Wells Fargo Center, home court of the NBA’s 76ers and home ice of the NHL’s Flyers. Live coverage of BKFC KnuckleMania V begins with the countdown show at 7 pm ET/ 4 pm PT from the arena before moving onto the undercard at 8 pm ET/ 5 pm PT on DAZN and the official YouTube channel. Main card action follows at 9 pm ET/ 6 pm PT.
Key Early Bouts During BKFC KnuckleMania V on Saturday Night
While the top of the bill in this year’s version of KnuckleMania features marquee stars such as Ben Rothwell, Jeremy Stephens, Bec Rawlings, and Taylor Starling, you can’t sleep on some of the fights that are due to take place on the earlier portion of the show.
We’ll discuss some of the tentpole fights at the top of the bill for BKFC KnuckleMania V later on in the week. For now, the time has come for us to take a gander at some of the must-see fights earlier on the card.
Note: All BKFC fights are an advertised maximum of five rounds at two minutes per round.
BKFC KnuckleMania V: Joey Dawejko vs. Steve Banks
Regardless of where exactly a heavyweight fight takes place on a card, any heavyweight contest on a combat sporting event is a must-see affair, including this contest between Joey Dawejko (28-13-4, 16 KOs) and Steve Banks (9-11 combat sports, 3-2 BKFC) on Saturday night.
Dawejko, nicknamed “Tank”, enters KnuckleMania, his BKFC promotional debut, having gone 2-3 in his last five fights, all held under traditional boxing rules. He’s fallen on hard times of late, however, having dropped two in a row.
Most recently, Joey Dawejko dropped a fifth-round TKO to Kristian Prenga (17-1, 17 KOs) in October from Prudential Center in Newark, NJ, one fight after losing by way of disqualification in the fifth round against Richard Torrez in Glendale, AZ. “Tank” has had an active stretch since the start of 2024, as this is his fifth fight in the last 13 months. Will he turn it around on Saturday?
In the other corner, Steve Banks, also known as “The Panda”, comes into Saturday’s card with a record of 3-2 thus far in his BKFC career. He’s been a streaky fighter since he joined the promotion, losing his last two bouts, including a first-round knockout loss to Leonardo Perdomo (6-0 BKFC) last September in his first fight in two years’ time.
Can Banks right the ship in BKFC KnuckleMania V?
BKFC KnuckleMania V: Itso Babulaidze vs. Bryan McDowell
Another fighter will make his BKFC promotional debut when the Wells Fargo Center opens its doors to the organization on Saturday night when undefeated Itso Babulaidze (7-0 combat sports) squares off against Bryan McDowell (8-10 combat sports, 0-1 BKFC) in a middleweight (175 lbs) affair.
On paper, this looks like a rout for Itso Babulaidze, who enters BKFC KnuckleMania V on an eight-fight winning streak across MMA and submission-only grappling dating back to his amateur MMA finale in September of 2021. Last time out, he successfully defended the Ring of Combat Welterweight Championship with a first-round knockout of Josh Jackson (9-4 MMA) in just 17 seconds with a punch.
Across the way, Bryan McDowell has gone 2-3 in his last five combat sports appearances. An alumnus of Cage Fury Fighting Championships, he scored a first-round knockout at the end of the period back in September after his opponent Justin McDonald was knocked down and the referee waved off the contest.
Only time will tell, however, if McDowell is going to be able to make it two wins in succession.
BKFC KnuckleMania V: Zedekiah Montanez vs. Brandon Meyer
Also on the early portion of the card, action takes place in the lightweight division when Zedekiah Montanez battles it out against Brandon Meyer. Montanez (5-0-1 MMA) will be making his BKFC promotional debut this weekend having gone undefeated in six fights in the cage.
Last time out, he emerged victorious from an Oct. 4 contest versus Dylan Smerillo (2-3 MMA) in Art of War Cage Fighting 37 from King of Prussia, PA, making this fight at BKFC KnuckleMania V a “home game” for Montanez. He hasn’t fought consistently in combat sports since 2019, when he appeared three times, winning every fight that year.
Montanez’s win versus Smerillo was his first fight since the fall of 2021. Could a win on Saturday night be the start of a productive year?
Meanwhile, Brandon Meyer (3-4 combat sports, 2-2 BKFC) comes into Saturday night’s bout on a 3-2 clip over his last five contests, but he’s exited the arena in defeat in each of his last two bouts. During an Aug. 24, 2024 boxing card in Lincoln, NE, Meyer was defeated by Daniel Dralu (1-0, 1 KO) via third-round knockout in the opening match of the night.
Can Meyer stop the skid on Saturday in Philadelphia?
Final Thoughts
Which fights on the early portion of BKFC KnuckleMania V are you looking forward to? Let us know in the comments.
FULL VIDEO: ROAD TO KNUCKLEMANIA 5 ⤵️https://t.co/Z20kTQ5ZaM
— Bare Knuckle FC (@bareknucklefc) January 20, 2025