BKFC Prepares For Groundbreaking Hawaii Event

The BKFC has officially taken its first step toward a potential game-changing event in Hawaii in 2026.

As the promotion continues to expand as it heads into its ninth year of existence, president and founder David Feldman has closed in on bringing bare-knuckle boxing to the Hawaiian Islands. The BKFC has officially touched down on Oahu, where they held open tryouts for local fighters to earn a spot on an upcoming fight card.

The tryouts were held at Mango Tree Muay Thai in Pearl City, Hawaii, on Sunday. Former UFC welterweight Chris Lytle and local promoter TJay Thompson spearheaded the effort.

The BKFC is eyeing the event for April 11 at the Neal S. Blaisdell Center in Honolulu, Hawaii, Feldman previously told KO on SI. However, nothing is set in stone, with the fight card yet to be announced.

Open tryouts are nothing new for the BKFC. The promotion frequently holds similar events around the world to scout local talent, where it hands out dozens of contracts each year.

Former heavyweight champion Arnold Adams is among the long list of fighters who signed with the promotion at an open tryout. Ex-UFC veteran Matthew Semelsberger also inked his contract similarly, earning a 'Golden Ticket' to compete at BKFC Knucklemania VI, where he will face Christian '2Rawkutt' Fayne.

Local combat sports legend leading BKFC Hawaii effort

Longtime combat sports fans are familiar with Lytle, but Thompson is less of a known commodity. Thompson has been out of the spotlight for a few years, but he played a key role in the now-defunct MMA promotions ICON Sport and Elite XC during the 2000s.

ICON Sport was once a prominent MMA organization based in Hawaii, where stars such as Robbie Lawler, Jason 'Mayhem' Miller and Egan Inoue progressed their careers. The promotion began under the name Superbrawl.

Since the end of Thompson's promotions, major combat sports have rarely gone back to Hawaii. The UFC has infamously never been to the islands, and major boxing promotions ignore the islands altogether.

Thompson is excited for bare-knuckle boxing to meet its match with the local fight culture in Hawaii.

"I've been telling the BKFC for the last couple of years that Hawaii's got the toughest guys in the world and they decided to put my words to the test and have tryouts here," Thompson said, via Hawaii News Now. "What I'm seeing is we've got bangers in Hawaii and I think the sport is made for that Hawaiian fight culture, that warrior culture that's here."

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