BKFC will host a $25 million tournament in 2025.
BKFC president David Felman announced the news Saturday at the BKFC Hollywood post-fight press conference in Hollywood, Fla.
“We’re going to have the biggest, baddest fight tournament that ever took place, and it’s going to start in April,” Feldman said. “It’s going to be the $25 million world’s baddest tournament.”
Felman didn’t reveal how the allocation of the $25 million will work out, but he did reveal other details, including the planned tournament duration and breakdown.
“It’s going to spread out between nine or 12 months,” Feldman said. “There’s going to be tryouts, qualifying rounds and those qualifying rounds are going to take place in five different continents.
“We’re close to locking in a huge streaming platform that’s going to have the rights to this thing, so everything is really falling in place. I can’t give you all the details, but it will be the biggest, baddest, biggest prize money to find the baddest motherf*cker on the face of this earth.”
BKFC has led the charge in recent years for bareknuckle boxing. Although the promotion has several notable names, such as former UFC fighters Mike Perry, Eddie Alvarez and Jeremy Stephens, Feldman said all fighters will have to try out – no fighters will be given slots in the tournament.
“Everyone has to try out for it. No one is getting pre-qualified,” Feldman said. “They have to try out for it and they’re going to have to fight in qualifying rounds to make the tournament. I mean, it’s not a joke purse. It’s a real purse, so they have to really fight.”
@ErikApple
Go Get some scapple
How many fights to get in? 25 million is a wild purse, it would be better if it was a 32 man open weight tournament for that kinda cash/stock. If they have to fight to get it I guess it’s a 16 man at the very least.
No matter what you will see the most effort from these fighters ever.
Plot twist - fedor comes out of retirement and tunes everyone up.
sounds awesome in theory, but half the dudes who win will likely not be able to continue
“Man, like that guy is the true knockout artist, man. Like he puts that division on a whole different freakin’ level, man [laughs]. They’re all hitting the treadmills after that. First round knockout after first round knockout, man. It’s like, that’s inspirational. I see that and I see what we’re capable of doing.”
“It’s like why can’t I do that? You know what I mean? I come to that point where it’s like, alright, if he’s able to do it, you know what I mean? The world’s watching it. Everybody’s seeing it. It’s so motivating, man. When somebody’s chasing that same kind of dream, even though he’s in the heavyweights, you know what I mean, too.”
“Because like I mean I know that like if I was able to get into that tournament, man, because that’s kind of what’s on the target level now. You know what, I’ve been looking at that biggest and baddest man tournament, man. I know he’s going to be in that tournament.”
“I know when it comes down to it, me being the knockout artist that I am, we’re going to probably be toe-to-toe. You know what I mean? The only people that I’ve been really worried about in that tournament if I was able to get into it or once I get into it is going to be Ben Rothwell and [Leonardo] Perdomo, man.”
“Everybody else I kind of see just going right through. Those guys I feel like are really going to be able to handle that power and really stand and put on a fight, man. But other than that, I’m ready to clean out the division, baby.”
Pursuing BKFC gold and the $25 million dollar tournament
That $25 million dollar tournament, which is targeted for a first quarter of next year kickoff, times out to where Esteban Rodriguez can see himself being the BKFC cruiserweight champion by the time that tournament begins as Rodriguez stated,
“Man, there’s no doubt about it, man. There’s no doubt about it. If they give me the fights, I will put on the shows, man. They just got to give me those contracts, man, and I’m ready to go. It don’t matter who they got in front of me. If it’s a championship or if it’s another name, I’m gonna tear it up. I’mma tear it up, man. I’mma tear them up, man. I’m tearing them up.”
The hulking, gloveless combatant is eyeing BKFC gold after this lightning quick KO in Florida and when asked if Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship has had any title fight discussions with him for the future, Rodriguez quipped,
“Well, they told me that so far that maybe one more fight and after that fight if I’d be able to show like this is truly, you know what I mean? What it is that I’m doing here, I’m going to just show them again, man. Whoever they put in front of me, I’m going to knock them out again.”
“Then they have no choice but to give me that gold. It’s like regardless if they want to or not, I am the future champion in the 205 division. I want to bring that belt back to the people where it belongs. It’s like the champions right now, what are they doing with it?”
“Man, they’re not doing anything back with that, you know, giving back to the people that really truly deserve it. You know what I mean? It’s like that’s why I feel like this is my calling.”
“This is my position because I know when I have that gold strap around my waist and I got it around my shoulder because I’m going to be rocking it for a long time, man. I’m going to be bringing it back to the people, man.”