BKFC 61 marks New England debut as Heather Hardy crosses over vs. Christine Ferea

BKFC is headed to New England for the first time.

The promotion recently officially announced Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. will mark the site of BKFC 61 on May 11. The card will be headlined by former boxing champion Heather Hardy against BKFC women’s flyweight champion Christine Ferea. It streams on BKFC+.

BKFC president David Feldman said Wednesday at a Knuckle Mania 4 pre-fight news conference he considers the bout’s winner to be “The Queen of Violence.”

No other bouts have yet been revealed.

Hardy, 42, has a 24-3 boxing record and is a former WBO and WBC international boxing champion. She most recently competed in August 2023 when she lost a title challenge against Amanda Serrano. Hardy, a New York native, fought four times in MMA, as well. She went 2-2 with all bouts under the Bellator banner.

Ferea, 41, has established herself as one of the best, if not the standalone best, pound-for-pound women in the current landscape of bareknuckle fighting. She’s 8-1 as a professional in bareknuckle and rides a six-fight winning streak into the matchup including consecutive victories over UFC alumnus Bec Rawlings.