Jamel Herring Reflects on "Natural" Bare-Knuckle Transition Ahead of BKFC Title Fight [Exclusive]

After 29 professional boxing fights, Jamel Herring is now fully immersed as a bare-knuckle fighter. The former WBO 130-pound champion knows he is exactly where he should be ahead of his vacant bantamweight title fight at BKFC 89.

Herring made his BKFC debut with a dominant unanimous decision win over Matt Guymon in January. The victory was more than just another notch in the win column for Herring, who spent months meticulously preparing for his bare-knuckle transition after over a decade in the sweet science.

"Mind you, up until my BKFC debut, I hadn't fought for over a year and a half, any type of competition," Herring told KO on SI. "So it was how to get the ring rust off. Once I adjusted, everything just felt natural and normal again."

SEMPER FI, SAME MISSION 🫡 Jamel Herring is BACK chasing gold, and the bantamweight division is officially on notice 😈#BKFC89 | May 22 | Tix + Watch ➡️ https://t.co/LJX5urGkRW pic.twitter.com/xwowAzVaXo
— Bare Knuckle FC (@bareknucklefc) May 11, 2026

While Herring left no stone unturned while preparing for his BKFC debut, nothing could have prepared him for the damage his hands took in the fight. 'Semper Fi' exited the fight virtually unscathed, a rarity in bare-knuckle boxing, but admitted his hands felt the pain after the fight, a common issue many boxers deal with during the transition.

"Usually, with boxing, you go home sore from bumps and getting beat up on your body. Hits in the head at times. But in my BKFC debut, I mainly felt pain within the pain I was giving out. Just for my bare fists. But my girl gave me some ibuprofen and I just slept it off and I was good."

Jamel Herring seeking improvement in sophomore BKFC outing

While the knuckle damage was its own issue, Herring spent hours adjusting his approach to make it more bare-knuckle-friendly. The 40-year-old was known for his tight high guard throughout his boxing career, but he knew that approach would not do him any favors in the BKFC.

Herring spent time studying his close friend, former BKFC welterweight champion Austin Trout, who also transitioned after a championship-winning boxing career, to learn an entirely different defensive base.

"I think, honestly, [my defense] was the biggest change and one of the best tools you can use as a pure boxer in the BKFC. You can't really guard. I mean, you got guys with their hands up and you still shoot a fist through the guard. So one thing I picked up from Austin [Trout] was, you know, lateral movement, pivoting and upper-body rhythm. Because when you're moving, you're moving side-to-side with your torque. You can roll off that for a good counter. You just have to be well aware of everything that's going on in front of you because it just takes one shot to turn the whole fight around."

As dominant as the win over Guymon was, Herring knows he needs to take the next step if he wants to gain favor with the bare-knuckle fan base. Restless fans in the Mohegan Sun Arena were spoiled with knockouts all night and began to boo the fight by the end of the fifth round.

Herring is proud of the "masterclass" in his debut after over a year-long hiatus, yet he is also ready to take the next step and get his first stoppage victory in the BKFC ring.

"I was happy with all the praise I got in the end, especially from pure boxing fans," Herring said. "Even the fans there in attendance, they thought I put on a masterclass. But you know, I take little notes into consideration. I mean, if you look at the last guy, he was just kind of awkward all over the place. It was more about trying to time things and shoot for the kill because if I overcommitted, I could have gotten caught with something that I wouldn't like on the receiving end. So what I'm working on is cleaner punches and probably more action this time."

Jamel Herring faces Michael Lattimore for the BKFC bantamweight title

Four months after his debut win, Herring is scheduled to face Michael Lattimore for the vacant BKFC bantamweight title. He was initially booked against former UFC flyweight Nate Maness, but the promotion announced the opponent change roughly two weeks before the event.

Herring and Lattimore headline BKFC 89 on May 22, a date Herring has openly admitted means a lot to him in his personal life. As a former Marine, Herring is excited about the opportunity to fight right before Memorial Day weekend and believes the month of May has been a good luck charm for him throughout his career.

If Herring comes out on top, he would join Trout as just the second former boxing world champion to claim a belt in the BKFC. Herring beat Masayuki Ito by unanimous decision in May 2019 to win the WBO super featherweight title, a belt he went on to defend three times.

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