Bare knuckle fighters walk a long, lonely road to the Squared Circle. 

They endure brutal training camps away from friends and family, dramatic weight cuts and the possibility of stomach-churning injuries, all for their shot at glory on the big stage.

It takes a special breed to succeed in bare knuckle fighting, so BKFC fighters share a special fraternity. With BKFC just recently celebrating its fifth anniversary, there’s a strong sense of pride and protection for the Squared Circle among BKFC’s roster of athletes.

So when social media megastar Bryce Hall seemingly decided on a whim that he wanted to try his hand at bare knuckle fighting – in a Tik Tok video, no less – Guillermo Perez had something to say to Hall and his online empire of 50M followers.

“I felt disrespected – for me and every other fighter – because fighters go through a journey that he hasn’t gone through,” Perez says. “For him to just raise his hand and ask if he could try bare knuckle because he has a few million followers, I felt some type of way.

“But, hey, if the kid wants to come in here and get punched in the face, then by all means – I’m going to punch him in the face.”

Perez will officially welcome Hall to the BKFC Squared Circle in the Co-Main Event of BKFC 48 on Aug. 11 in Albuquerque, NM, LIVE on The BKFC App. 

Perez, who moonlights as a cutman for BKFC, is quickly establishing himself as one of the most exciting prospects in the world of bare knuckle fighting. He’s undefeated in his first three bouts, with all of those wins coming by stoppage, heading into his showdown with Hall in Albuquerque.  

It seems BKFC 48 will be equal parts personal and professional for the fast-rising Perez.

“I’m really going to try to stretch it out to the third round because I want to cut him up – I want to hurt him. I don’t want to knock him out; I want him to quit on me,” says Perez, who wants to be a BKFC World Champion in 2024.

“He’s really going to regret signing that contract.”