BKFC-71 DELIVERS FIREWORKS IN THE FIRST NIGHT OF ITS GROUND BREAKING TWO-NIGHT PREMIERE IN DUBAI
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Dubai, UAE (April 4, 2025) Two Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) World Titles were on the line at BKFC-71 on Friday when The World’s Fastest Growing Combat Sports Promotion broke historic new ground in the United Arab Emirates.
Friday’s action from the sold-out Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium in Dubai aired LIVE worldwide on The BKFC App and sets the stage for BKFC-72, which takes place Saturday, also LIVE exclusively on The BKFC App.
In the BKFC-71 Main Event, BKFC Welterweight World Champion Austin “No Doubt” Trout edged out the previously undefeated Carlos Trinidad-Snake with a split-decision victory, defending his belt for the second time and improving to 4-0 in the process.
Trout, who hails from Houston, TX, picked himself up off the canvas in the opening round. A very rare overtime round was needed to decide the hotly anticipated matchup after the action-packed bout ended as a draw after five rounds.
Two judges scored the six-round bout in favor of Trout (57-56, 58-55), while one had it 58-55 for Trinidad-Snake.
“I expected (a tough fight), but I didn’t think he was going to do it. Shoutout to Carlos, man. He came and fought his (expletive) off. He had a good game plan and made me change my game plan. All respect to him, but I’m still here. I’m still the Champion,” said Trout, a former World Boxing Association champion.
Trinidad-Snake, who represents Omaha NE, is now 6-1 in his BKFC career.
Britain Hart added to her legendary resume by defending her BKFC Women’s Strawweight World Title for a fourth time with a hard-fought decision victory over Tai Emery in the BKFC 71 Co-Main Event.
Hart is now 10-3 on the strength of six straight wins in the BKFC Squared Circle. She is now tied with BKFC Women’s Flyweight World Champion Christine “Misfit” Ferea for most all-time victories amongst female BKFC combatants.
“I’m the best. I did it. I’ve proven it, and I’ve earned it,” Hart told the sold-out Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium. “I haven’t asked for anything; I’ve earned what I’ve got. I want to earn your respect and love; that’s why I’m here. I’m here for a reason!”
Two judges scored the contest 48-47 and one scored the bout 50-45, all in favor of the Danville, VA product Hart.
Emery, an Australian based in Dubai, is now 2-2 in her BKFC career.
The debuting Jonny “El Toro” Tello and the unbeaten Sabah “The Sleek Sheik” Homasi delivered a frontrunner for “Fight of the Year” with their middleweight barnburner in the BKFC-71 feature fight.
After losing the opening two rounds, the Thailand-based Canadian Tello rallied with a pair of knockdowns that paved the way for a highly entertaining, come-from-behind win over Homasi. Two judges scored the fight 48-45 and one had it 47-46, all in favor of Tello.
“They call me ‘El Toro’ for a reason. I’m a bull, man,” Tello told the Dubai faithful. “I knew coming out here would change my life. I knew that I was going to leave this fight as a winner. Even if I lost, I knew it was going to be the Fight of the Night.”
Homasi, a UFC vet out of Coconut Creek, FL, is now 1-1 under the BKFC banner.
BKFC Founder and President David Feldman and BKFC Partner Conor McGregor spoke with Cyrus Fees during the broadcast.
Said Feldman “The Middle East has become a hub of combat sports, and we want to help make Dubai the capital of combat sports in the Middle East. The fans here in Dubai are crazy!”
McGregor: “Have you ever seen anything like this in your life? From the featherweights to the heavyweights, our fighters bring it. Knockout after knockout. This sport is incredible. The pace, the energy, the action; bare knuckle is unmatched.”
Brazil’s Geronimo “Mondragon” Dos Santos introduced himself in style to the BKFC heavyweight division with a jaw-dropping, first-round knockout over 17-fight UFC vet Alexey “The Boa Constrictor” Oleinik. Time of the stoppage was 1:49 in the first round. The Russian Oleinik is now 0-1 under the BKFC banner.
Adel “Kyokushin” Altamimi turned heads in his BKFC debut as the Los Angeles, CA-based Iraqi fighter sent the previously unbeaten David Mora to the canvas three times in their welterweight battle. The knockout stoppage came at the 1:28 mark in the third round. Mora, who represents Spain, is now 1-1.
Egypt’s Ahmed Khairy recorded three knockdowns en route to the technical knockout victory over Brazilian Leandro Martins in their lightweight showdown. The ringside physician called a stop to the bout at the 1:01 mark of the third round. Both fighters were stepping into the BKFC Squared Circle for the first time.
Bulgarian middleweight Mladen Iliev smashed his way to 2-0 by knocking out debuting Algerian fighter Aboubkeur Houari. The stoppage came 23 seconds into the second round.
Egypt’s Mohamed “Flex” Aly dropped Jaskaran Singh twice en route to the first-round technical knockout victory in their heavyweight matchup. Time of the stoppage was 59 seconds into the first round. Both fighters were making their BKFC debut.
Egyptian bantamweight Mahmoud Ahmed improved to 2-0 with a split-decision victory over debuting Russian fighter Fuad “The Flash” Tarverdi. Each fighter scored a knockdown in the action-packed matchup. Two judges scored the fight 47-46 for Ahmed, while one scored it 47-46 for Tarverdi.
Azerbaijan’s Elnur “The Conqueror” Suleymanov was victorious in his BKFC debut, stopping Germany’s Lucas “The Dentist” Sontgen via stoppage in their middleweight showdown. The bout was called to a stop 14 seconds into the second round. Sontgen was also making his BKFC debut.
In the first BKFC bout in UAE history, Chechnya’s Islam Sizbulatov needed just 40 seconds and a single knockdown to stop Leang Cheng of Cambodia in lightweight action. Both combatants were making their BKFC debut.
BKFC 71 Results
(C) Austin Trout def. Carlos Trinidad-Snake via Split Decision (58-55, 55-58, 57-56)
Defends BKFC World Welterweight Title
(C) Britain Hart def. Tai Emery via Unanimous Decision (48-47x2, 50-45)
Defends BKFC World Women’s Strawweight Title
Jonny Tello def. Sabah Homasi via Unanimous Decision (48-45x2, 47-46)
Geronimo Dos Santos def. Alexey Oleinik via KO in Round 1 (1:49)
Adel Altamimi def. David Mora via KO in Round 3 (1:28)
Ahmed Khairy def. Leandro Martins via TKO in Round 3 (1:01)
Mladen Iliev def. Aboubkeur Houari via KO in Round 2 (0:23)
Mohamed Aly def. Jaskaran Singh via TKO in Round 1 (0:59)
Mahmoud Ahmed def. Fuad Tarverdi via Split Decision (47-46x2, 46-47)
Elnur Suleymanov def. Lucas Sontgen via KO in Round 2 (0:14)
Islam Sizbulatov def. Leang Cheng via KO in Round 1 (0:40)
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Double B Sports
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About Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC)
Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) is the first promotion allowed to hold a legal, sanctioned, and regulated bare knuckle event in the United States since 1889. Based in Philadelphia, and headed by President and former professional boxer David Feldman, BKFC is dedicated to preserving the historical legacy of bare knuckle fighting, while utilizing a specifically created rule set that emphasizes fighter safety. BKFC holds all of its bouts in a revolutionary circular four-rope ring, designed to encourage fast-paced and exciting bouts. The patented BKFC “Squared Circle” contains scratch lines, based on the Broughton Rules which governed bare knuckle fighting in the 19th century, and which requires fighters to “Toe the Line”: start every round face to face, and just inches apart.
In BKFC, only those fighters who are established professionals in boxing, MMA, kickboxing, or Muay Thai are allowed to compete. The referees and judges are required to have extensive professional combat sports experience. All fights are held under the auspices and control of an Athletic Commission. Unlike other fighting organizations and combat sports internationally which claim to be “bare knuckle”, but require wraps, tape, and gauze; BKFC is true to its word as fighters are not allowed to wrap their hands to within one inch of the knuckle. This makes BKFC unquestionably the truest form of bare knuckle fighting. BKFC is dedicated to not just creating the safest, most exciting, and highest-level bare-knuckle fighting organization in the world, it’s also leading the way for a new fully recognized professional combat sport. BKFC is truly the sport of the future, which fully respects its remarkable past.
