BKB Naked Knuckle Boxing is taking its first occasion in Mexico straight to championship territory. BKB 59 lands at Auditorio Municipal in Tijuana on September 19, with native fighter Julian Fernandez defending his tremendous cruiserweight world title towards former three-division champion Dan “Large Pod” Podmore.
BKB 59
Fernandez could have house assist, however Podmore is arriving with a résumé constructed for this sort of task. The Birmingham fighter has beforehand held BKB belts at heavyweight, bridgerweight and cruiserweight, and he most not too long ago stopped Jarome Hatch at BKB 55: Carnage in Cardiff. His 9-4 bare-knuckle document contains expertise towards title-level opposition, which provides Fernandez a critical first protection reasonably than a delicate launch in Mexico.
Fernandez is 2-0 below the BKB banner and 3-0 in bare-knuckle competitors total. He gained the title after a first-round knockout of Alex Wilson at BKB 53 and has but to go the gap within the self-discipline. Earlier than taking off the gloves, the 33-year-old Tijuana native compiled a 16-4 skilled boxing document with 13 knockouts, combating names together with Frank Sanchez, Arslanbek Makhmudov and Tom Schwarz.
That background offers the principle occasion a clear distinction. Fernandez is the hometown champion with skilled boxing expertise and a quick begin within the Trigon. Podmore is the confirmed BKB title collector who is aware of the best way to handle the format, the tempo and the stress of a championship combat. One man will get his first title protection at house; the opposite will get an opportunity so as to add a fourth BKB weight-class title to his document.
The co-main occasion will crown the primary BKB tremendous flyweight world champion. Puerto Vallarta’s Cecy Ulloa faces South Carolina-based Andy “The CrAsian” Nguyen for the vacant belt, inserting one other Mexican fighter in a title bout on the promotion’s debut card.
Ulloa enters at 2-1 with one no contest in BKB and brings 18 years in fight sports activities, together with expertise as a health club proprietor. She was ranked No. 1 at flyweight in bare-knuckle boxing in 2019 and may work from both stance, making this a matchup the place positioning might show vital as quickly because the opening bell rings.
Nguyen enters at 1-1 in BKB after a protracted MMA profession. She was the primary skilled Vietnamese-American feminine fighter in fight sports activities and gained the King of the Cage atomweight title thrice earlier than shifting into bare-knuckle competitors. Her cage expertise shall be examined towards Ulloa’s consolation within the BKB setting, with the vacant championship ready for the fighter who settles in first.
The Mexico present is the opening occasion in BKB‘s partnership with Zanfer Boxing. The businesses plan to stage a number of playing cards per yr over a number of years, whereas Zanfer helps determine Mexican fighters curious about crossing into naked knuckle boxing. Zanfer has labored with champions together with Jaime Munguia, Emanuel Navarrete and Rafael Espinoza, including a well-known native boxing identify to BKB’s Mexico plans.
