With a nickname like “Danger,” it should come as no surprise that Josh Marer fits right in in the hard-hitting, unforgiving world of bare knuckle fighting.

Marer’s pre-BKFC resume includes five pro MMA bouts and nearly 10 amateur MMA matches, but don’t expect to see the hard-nosed Atlanta fighter put his gloves back on any time soon.

“After my first bare knuckle fight, I knew that this was my sport. I like the exchanges, I like the nitty gritty. I like everything about bare knuckle fighting,” Marer says.

“There are certain types of people who don’t mind being hit, they don’t mind working through adversity when they’re in a sticky situation. Bare knuckle isn’t a points game. This is a skill-level and toughman game.” 

Marer, 32, sees himself rising the ranks of the stacked BKFC lightweight division and earning a spot in the Top 10 of the weight class by the end of 2023. The next step in his journey takes place at BKFC 42 on May 12, when “Danger” returns to the Squared Circle for the second time against the debuting John Barnard in Greenville, SC, LIVE on The BKFC App.

His prediction for fight night is simple.

“I’m going to knock him out,” Marer says. “I’m going to end it in the first round.”