Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship Seeking First $1 Million Gate at BKFC 41

Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship is only days away from its biggest event to date this Saturday with BKFC 41, which is a co-main event headlined by two former UFC champions in Luke Rockhold and Eddie Alvarez.

The combat sport promotion is only five years old, yet it has displayed remarkable growth. That is clearly visible in its marquee bouts—Rockhold against Mike Perry in the main event and Alvarez against Chad Mendes in the co-main—and a slate of fights on the card that also feature Ben Rothwell, Christine Ferea and Chris Camozzi.

BKFC founder and president David Feldman believes Saturday’s pay-per-view, which takes place in Denver at the 1st Bank Center, will help the promotion in its unrelenting pursuit of crossing over into the mainstream.

“We’re pacing for our first million-dollar gate,” says Feldman. “That is quite a feat for a promotion that started with only four employees. And we’re not just promoting events, we’re building the sport.”

BKFC possesses similarities to MMA and boxing, albeit with a different set of rules. Fights take place in the circular four-rope “Squared Circle” ring, and punches are the only strike allowed. Kicks, elbows, knees and grappling are all illegal, and fighters are not allowed to hit a downed opponent.

Fights are two minutes per round, and each bout is five rounds. Similar to boxing, if a fighter is knocked down, there is a 10-second count to return back to their feet.

“We took the best part of MMA and the best part of boxing, and we put it inside our BKFC Squared Circle,” says Feldman. “You’ll see two guys start in the center of the ring, and once the referee says, ‘Knuckle Up,’ you’re going to see action. The rules are set up that way. It’s two guys banging it out, and it is very exciting to watch.”

A real selling point for fighters is that BKFC is willing to pay. Though Feldman would not confirm an exact number, Rockhold, Alvarez, Perry and Mendes are all expected to make a payday hovering high in the six-figure range.

“They’re all getting more money than they ever did in the UFC,” says Feldman. “We’re doing viewership numbers and we’re selling tickets, so we want to pay the fighters.”

Saturday’s card starts a pivotal stretch for BKFC. There are two events in May and another in June, with Feldman vowing to bring compelling and captivating fights to the masses.

“I’m not saying we’re the biggest or baddest wolf in combat sports, but we’re hungry and we are growing,” says Feldman. “This is our most expensive card, and there is a vision behind it. We have two former UFC champions on this card, we’re in touch with a lot of top boxers. We have more views than any other combat sport in the world except for the UFC.”

BKFC 41 is the promotion’s most expensive card to date. It also has the potential to be a driving force in its growth.

“This is make or break for us,” says Feldman. “I’ve put everything I have into this event. We’re betting on a successful event, and we want fight fans to bet on us, too. We’re betting on ourselves, and we think we’re going to win.”

Justin Barrasso can be reached at JBarrasso@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @JustinBarrasso.