KnuckleMania V Preview: Eddie Alvarez vs. Jeremy Stephens Tops BKFC Tripleheader

UFC veterans collide at BKFC KnuckleMania V, with Philadelphia's own Eddie Alvarez squaring off with Jeremy Stephens.
BKFC

Bareknuckle boxing doesn't get much bigger than this.

On paper, KnuckleMania V holds strong as one of the most stacked cards in BKFC history, 13 fights going down from the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Four ex-UFC fighters are atop the main card of KnuckleMania: Philly own's Eddie Alvarez, his opponent Jeremy Stephens, Ben Rothwell, and Bec Rawlings - plus veteran Dustin Pague, who's on the prelims.

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The Main Event

Their MMA careers may have panned out very differently, but make no mistake, Eddie Alvarez and Jeremy Stephens are cut from the same cloth— both fighters bringing a certain level of tenacity and 'dog' mentality every time they step into the ring.

Alvarez boasts the superior resume of the two, "The Underground King" winning titles in both the UFC and Bellator MMA, slaying the likes of Michael Chandler, Rafael Dos Anjos, Justin Gaethje, and many more in his heyday.

Now 41, Alvarez is 1-1 as a bareknuckle boxer, defeating former title challenger Chad Mendes in his debut in 2023 but coming up short later that year against Mike Perry, retiring on the stool after punching himself out.

Across from him stands Stephens, tied for the sixth-most fights in UFC history. Stephens has seen it all, facing former champion after former champion and a slew of top contenders throughout his run.

UFC's Jeremy Stephen
Scott Rovak-Imagn Images

2-0 under the BKFC banner with a win over fellow UFC compatriot Jimmie Rivera, Stephens will try to make it three in a row when he meets Alvarez in a grudge match of sorts. "Lil Heathen" took shots at Alvarez and his hometown of Philadelphia at their first press conference last month - Alvarez looking to punish him for what was said.

Heavyweight Title On The Line

A BKFC fighter for almost 3 years now, longtime UFC heavyweight "Big" Ben Rothwell finally gets a shot at the heavyweight title against the champ Mick Terrill.

Rothwell and Terrill first faced off at BKFC 69 in December, butting heads prior to their fight on Saturday.

BKFC: Rothwell vs. Terill
BKFC

Rothwell signed to the BKFC months after his UFC release in 2022, going 3-0 with all stoppages. Rothwell fought some of the baddest dudes in the world, from Cain Velasquez to Alistair Overeem, and now he'll fight the baddest man in the BKFC, and that's Mick Terrill.

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Terrill doesn't come from an MMA background, bareknuckle boxing for as long as he can remember. Terrill's BKFC record is an impressive 9-1, having already avenged his one and only loss to Arnold Adams. The Brit has not fought since last April, when he defeated fellow champ Lorenzo Hunt at last year's KnuckleMania event.

Rothwell vs. Terrill is BKFC President David Feldman's sleeper fight of the card, believing the heavyweight title bout is an early contender for 'Fight of the Year'.

Femme Fatale

KnuckleMania V will only see two women compete - a catchweight bout between Bec Rawlings and Taylor Starling.

Rawlings went 2-5 in the UFC before finding her bread and butter as a bareknuckle brawler. "Rowdy" Bec competed and won on the BKFC's first-ever card in 2018, picking up a championship title later that year.

Former UFC fighter Bec Rawling
Christopher Hyde-Imagn Images

Rawlings only lost to the best of the best inside the Squared Circle, suffering back-to-back losses to Flyweight Champ Christine Ferea and Strawweight Champ Britain Hart.

The same can be said for her opponent Starling, a two-time title challenger against Ferea and Hart. "Killa Bee" had a great start in BKFC back in 2021, winning three-straight fights. Starling aims to rebound from her title loss to Hart at BKFC 63 last August.

BKFC boss Feldman says this fight could be a title eliminator, with the winner potentially going on to face Hart once again for the 115 lbs. title.

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KnuckleMania V takes place Saturday, Jan. 25 - available to watch on DAZN.

Interviews

Check out MMA Knockout's pre-fight interviews with the stars of Knuckle Mania V below.

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Published
Christopher De Santiago
CHRISTOPHER DE SANTIAGO

Christopher De Santiago is a 22 year-old journalist from Gainesville, Texas with years of experience covering MMA.