Fans express concerns after Victor Ortiz's bare-knuckle boxing debut win at BKB 56
Victor Ortiz emerged victorious in his bare-knuckle boxing debut at BKB 56. Fans soon weighed in and cited the gnarly impact of the fight.
Victor Ortiz has long been a prominent personality in the combat sports realm and beyond. "Vicious" has found success in Hollywood as well, notably starring as an actor in top-tier films such as "The Expendables 3" and "Southpaw."
The boxing star recently competed in his maiden bare-knuckle boxing match. Although he managed to notch the win, fans soon took to social media to express their concerns about Ortiz's well-being, given the gruesome damage he appeared to have sustained to his face.
Victor Ortiz -- boxing star and former WBC titlist tries his hand at bare-knuckle boxing in the BKB Bare Knuckle Boxing Trigon
Victor Ortiz boasts the honor of having won the WBC welterweight championship during his time as a high-ranking athlete in the sport of professional boxing.
Speaking of which, the American pugilist of Mexican descent recently ventured into a different sport, that of bare-knuckle boxing. A number of fight fans expressed their elation when it was revealed that the 39-year-old signed with BKB Bare Knuckle Boxing earlier this year.
Formerly known as BYB (Back Yard Brawl) Extreme Fighting Series, the U.S.-founded bare-knuckle boxing organization that was founded back in 2015, eventually acquired the U.K.-based BKB in 2024.
Coming to the here and now, BKB Bare Knuckle Boxing put forth the BKB 56 event in Los Angeles on July 18.
It was headlined by a much-awaited super welterweight matchup between Victor Ortiz and Dominic Salcido.
Victor Ortiz wins gritty bare-knuckle boxing debut; fans react to his facial injuries after war at BKB 56
Both Victor Ortiz and Dominic Salcido made their respective bare-knuckle boxing debuts in the headlining match of BKB 56 this past Saturday night. Nevertheless, neither combatant was a stranger to trading heavy leather, as they brought extensive experience as professional boxers into the BKB Trigon.
The back-and-forth fight witnessed Ortiz utilize his signature grit and aggression to push back his foe during pivotal exchanges. Salcido, to his credit, put up a valiant effort against the always-dangerous Ortiz.
Ultimately, Ortiz managed to outwork him -- even notching a lightning-fast knockdown -- to secure a unanimous decision victory over the course of five two-minute rounds, bagging scores of 49-45 on all three judges' scorecards.
VICTOR ORTIZ KNOCKDOWN! 🚨
— BKB Bare Knuckle Boxing (@bkbbareknuckle) July 19, 2026
Knockdown alert sponsored by @rainbetcom
Watch BKB 56: Los Angeles | LIVE NOW
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The two fighters displayed their mutual respect after the grueling showdown. Moreover, during his post-fight interview inside the Trigon with Gareth A. Davies, Ortiz looked up at the big screen and realized that he was afflicted by cuts and swelling around his left eye.
The veteran fighter smilingly stated, "Oh my gosh! I just saw my eye! Hahaha!"
Watch Victor Ortiz's surprised yet lighthearted reaction to the facial damage he sustained at BKB 56 below:
This is sad to see tbh. He had a solid career WBC champ, fought mayweather why’s he having to smash his face to pieces like this at nearly 40 😩 https://t.co/8nu4M8bp52
— liam harrison (@LiamBadco) July 20, 2026
Fans subsequently reacted to Victor Ortiz's first official bare-knuckle boxing match, with several questioning why a pro boxer who's already forged a great legacy would risk debuting in a different sport at this point in his athletic career.
A few netizens speculated that financial setbacks must've pushed him to risk suffering damage by venturing into the world of bare-knuckle fighting in what they believe is the latter phase of his career as an athlete.
One X user wrote, "Probably taken a loan of by his advisors and management." Another similarly noted, "Bad money management if I had to guess."
Alternatively, a few fans seemed excited about and supportive of his foray into bare-knuckle boxing. An observer posted, "Because he likes to fight."
Moreover, a few people were aghast at the wear and tear he'd sustained in the five-round war of attrition.
A netizen apparently alluded to Ortiz's former pro boxing opponent, boxing great Floyd Mayweather Jr., and the reported financial issues that "Money" Mayweather has lately been embattled by. The fan conjectured, "We're going to see Mayweather have to do this too."
Check out a few screengrabs of fight fans' reactions to Victor Ortiz's BKB fight below:
