BKFC Gaining Prominence as Industry Disruptor

Now that Conor McGregor has joined as an owner, how high is the ceiling for BKFC?

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Mike Perry continued his rise in bare knuckle fighting, defeating Thiago Alves by technical knockout in only 60 seconds on Saturday at Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship’s KnuckleMania.

Undefeated in the BKFC ring, Perry (5-0) takes immense pride in his “King of Violence” nickname. He backs it up in his fights, and that aggression was on display against Alves at the sold-out Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.

Mike Perry / Courtesy BKFC

A key part of the pay-per-view occurred when Conor McGregor revealed he has joined BKFC as a part-owner. It is a massive positive for David Feldman, the BKFC’s founder and president, as well as a step in the right direction for the entire promotion.

Conor McGregor and McGregor Sports and Entertainment is now an owner of BKFC.pic.twitter.com/KkovV3vq0j

— Jed I. Goodman © (@jedigoodman) April 28, 2024

McGregor is a bona fide marketing machine. Solely lending his name is a money-maker for BKFC, even more so considering he will be in the spotlight for the next two months as he makes his return to the Octagon against Michael Chandler in June at UFC 303.

As BKFC grows in recognition, it begs the question: how high is the promotion’s ceiling?

KnuckleMania IV / BKFC

Mario Lopez, who was prominently featured on the KnuckleMania pay-per-view, signed on as a Brand Ambassador. There is also the new partnership with AXS TV for a new weekly program–The Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship series–which began on April 4 and runs for 13 weeks. Outside the ring, there is plenty of reason for optimism.

David Feldman and Mario Lopez / Courtesy BKFC

The critical question for BKFC will center around whether it can build stars in the ring.

Feldman has been smart to take a page out of the Scott Coker playbook, generating headlines from former MMA stars. That was what Coker did early on in Bellator, and it worked. For BKFC, the majority of recognizable fighters in BKFC competed in UFC. The next big BKFC bout looks to be Perry against Darren Till, who, you guessed it, competed in the Octagon–which should be a must-see bout. But developing new stars to pair with the already established ones will be crucial for Feldman.

Aging stars are particularly troublesome; most only have a fight or two to give to the sport. Eddie Alvarez stayed for two fights, while Luke Rockhold and Michael Page only stayed for one. So landing on the right formula will be pivotal, and creating new stars will be necessary.

In the meantime, BKFC stands as the industry’s foremost disruptor. Led by the rebellious Feldman, adding McGregor provides even more momentum as it seeks to increase its notoriety around the globe.