The world’s fastest growing combat sports promotion touches down in Virginia for the first time ever this week as BKFC 39 takes place Friday under the bright lights at Scope Arena in Norfolk, LIVE on The BKFC App.
Here are our Top 3 storylines heading into this weekend’s epic debut in Old Dominion.
A Legend's Homecoming In The Main Event
It’s fitting that the best bare knuckle fighter to ever call Virginia home, Chesapeake's Reggie “Educated Hands” Barnett Jr., gets to showcase his skills in the Main Event in the first BKFC event in state history. He defends his BKFC World Bantamweight Championship against fast-rising challenger Daniel Alvarez. Barnett Jr. is a true icon of bare knuckle fighting, making his Squared Circle debut at BKFC 1. This weekend he’ll become the first fighter in BKFC history to compete 11 times in the Squared Circle. Alvarez steps up to the scratch line as a short-notice replacement for Barnett. The tenacious Mexican-American fighter is still young, but he jumped at the opportunity to take on the champ and pour rocket fuel on his career. Alvarez hunts for his second jaw-dropping finish after he scored a first-round stoppage victory over JR Ridge, the No. 1-ranked BKFC flyweight, in his BKFC debut. Will Barnett Jr. add another impressive credential to his historic resume, or will Alvarez rise to the occasion and score the upset victory of a lifetime?
World Title Grudge Match In The Co-Main Event
Bedford, VA's Britain Hart, the baddest female bare knuckle fighter to ever hail from Virginia, is ready to put on a show to remember for her home state fans Friday as she defends her BKFC World Women’s Strawweight Championship against Tennessee's Jenny “Savage” Clausius in the Co-Main Event. Hart (6-3, 2 KOs) is the most active female fighter in BKFC history and the only fighter to defeat Clausius (3-1, 2 KOs) in the Squared Circle. There’s no love lost between these two outspoken fan-favorites, and both fighters are hungry to end this exciting grudge match with an emphatic stoppage.
Full Slate Of Action
Friday’s Main Event and Co-Main Event are two of the most exciting matchups in recent memory, but BKFC’s debut in Virginia features a full slate of other can’t-miss bouts, including the Feature Fight of the night between UFC vet Dustin "The Disciple" Pague (1-1, 1 KO) and James "Knucklehead" Dennis (1-1, 1 KO), as well as the return of fan-favorites Jay “Action” Jackson (2-2, 2 KOs), Idris “Grumpy Bear” Wasi (1-1, 1 KO), Zach Calmus (1-2), Stanislav Grosu (1-2, 1 KO), David Simpson (1-2, 1 KO) and Dimitri “The Modern Gladiator” Angelini (0-1). Tune in to the BKFC 39 free Preliminary Card for the Squared Circle debut of five-time Bellator MMA vet Pat “The Gorilla Ninja” Casey.
