BKFC 74 is upon us. On the same night as UFC 315, bare-knuckle boxing takes center stage in the western half of the United States. Saturday night, David Feldman‘s promotion sets up shop for the second and final time in the month of May, with this week’s show originating from Maverik Center.
After Saturday night’s show, BKFC will return to action on the night of June 16 with BKFC 75 from Albuquerque, NM
Live coverage of BKFC 74 begins Saturday with the countdown show on YouTube at 7 pm ET/ 4 pm PT. The fights themselves begin an hour later at 8 pm ET/ 5 pm PT.
As always, inside the US, the action on Saturday night can be seen gavel-to-gavel on DAZN. Barring any postponements, cancellations, or other adjustments to the bout order this weekend, the final version of Saturday’s card will feature a total of 10 bare-knuckle encounters.
BKFC 74 Main Event: BKFC Light Heavyweight Championship: [C] Mike Richman vs. No. 4 Contender Josh Dyer
At the top of the bill this Saturday evening, the BKFC Light Heavyweight Championship is on the line in your main event of the evening. Current titleholder Mike Richman (7-3, 1 NC bare-knuckle) will be making his initial defense of the 185-lb division’s strap against challenger and No. 4 contender Josh Dyer (4-1, 2 NC bare-knuckle.)
All fights on BKFC 74 will be an advertised maximum of five rounds at two minutes per round. The champ enters the headlining affair on Saturday having posted a mark of 3-2 in his last five matches.
At present, Richman has won two fights in a row. Right before the Christmas holiday on Dec. 21, he captured the BKFC Light Heavyweight Championship with a first-round knockout by way of a right hand over Jared Warren (7-2, 1 NC bare-knuckle) in 44 seconds from Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, FL.
Richman is no stranger to championship fights under the BKFC promotional banner, as this weekend’s BKFC 74 main event will mark his fourth such contest since joining the promotion. Will his first defense of the belt result in the phrase “…And still” being said after the headliner?
Meanwhile, No. 4 contender Josh Dyer enters BKFC 74 having gone 2-1 with two no-contests in his last five fights. The challenger is on a three-fight unbeaten streak at this time.
Back on Aug. 3 of last year, he finished William Albrecht (2-1 bare-knuckle) in 46 seconds. Dyer had a case of bad luck with two of his fights ruled as no-contests, but his victory over Albrecht gave him a needed boost. Can his upswing continue here?
BKFC 74 Co-Main Event: Ben Moa vs. Bobby Brents
Immediately beforehand, the co-headliner of BKFC 74 sees action in the heavyweight ranks between Ben Moa (1-0 bare-knuckle) and Bobby Brents (2-3, 1 NC bare-knuckle). The BKFC 74 co-main event is Moa’s first combat sports appearance in more than a year.
Moa has gone 3-2 in his last five fights dating back to his MMA career. Last time out, he scored a third-round TKO victory over Bridger Bercier (1-1 bare-knuckle) due to a doctor’s stoppage after Bercier sustained a cut.
BKFC 74 is a “home game” for Ben Moa, who suited up at tight end for The University of Utah Utes football program in the 2002 and 2003 seasons, gaining 492 receiving yards and catching three touchdown passes. He finished with six total touchdowns, all of which were scored in the 2003 season.
Thus, it goes without saying that the crowd will be partisan for their favorite son, but only time will tell if he can send the attendees home happy this weekend.
Across the way, Bobby Brents will be making a quick turnaround for this week’s show. It was just a little bit over three months ago that he made his last walk to the ring in BKFC on DAZN: Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, CT.
That night, however, the contest didn’t go well for him. Brents was unable to continue following the second round due to hematoma, resulting in his opponent, Yorgan de Castro (1-0 bare-knuckle), scoring a TKO. He’ll certainly be hopeful that this contest has a better ending than the one he had on Feb. 1 inside Mohegan Sun Arena.
Will the 100-day hiatus between fights be helpful for Bobby Brents?
BKFC 74 Featured Bout: Mike Jones vs. Sean Hotusing
Also on BKFC 74, the evening’s featured contest happens at light heavyweight pairing Mike Jones (1-1 bare-knuckle) against Sean Hotusing (0-2 bare-knuckle.) Jones, an alumnus of the LFA, has posted a record of 3-2 in his last five fights, MMA fights included.
This past February, he was on the losing end of a first-round knockout by way of slam from John Poppie (13-7 MMA) on Feb. 28 in Fierce FC 38 in Salt Lake City. The BKFC 74 featured bout is Jones’ 13th consecutive bout across all competitions to originate in the state of Utah.
During that span, he’s gone 7-5 in his home state ahead of Saturday night. Will number 13 be lucky for Jones?
In the other corner, Sean Hotusing has posted a 2-3 mark in his past five fights dating back to his amateur days. Back in March, he bested Diego Romo by decision in a custom rules bout in Miami.
Hotusing has had under two months in-between fights, so how will the quick turnaround affect his gameplan?
Final Thoughts
Which bout or bouts are you looking forward to on BKFC 74? Let us know in the comments.
