Two bare-knuckle champions meet Saturday night in Newark. BKFC bantamweight champion Jamel “Semper Fi” Herring makes his first title defense against BKFC flyweight champion John “The Magician” Dodson at BKFC 95. The promotion calls it “a champ vs champ main event that on paper is a fight of the year candidate.”
When Is BKFC 95?
BKFC 95 is Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026, at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Doors open at 7 p.m. ET, according to the arena. This is BKFC’s second show at the Prudential Center after its first one there last October.
“Our first show at the Prudential Center last October was one of the most exciting and successful in our company’s history, and we can’t wait to see all of our New Jersey fans this October 17,” BKFC founder and president David Feldman said.
BKFC 95 Start Time
- Prelims: 8 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. CT
- Main card: 9 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. CT
BKFC hasn’t posted an official ring-walk time for the main event. With seven fights on the main card, expect Herring and Dodson to walk out sometime around 11:30 p.m. ET (10:30 p.m. CT) or later.
How to Watch BKFC 95
Event listings put the main card on DAZN and BKFC+, and it’s also listed on TrillerTV+. All three require a subscription, and there’s no pay-per-view.
DAZN’s U.S. plans cost $34.99 a month without a contract, $24.99 a month on an annual contract, or $249.99 a year paid upfront. BKFC’s own streaming service, BKFC+, costs $7.99 a month or $49.99 a year.
TrillerTV lists the prelims as free to stream.
Herring vs. Dodson: Champ vs. Champ
Herring is a former U.S. Olympic boxer and a Marine veteran. He also held the WBO junior lightweight world title in boxing. He’s 2-0 in BKFC, and his last win was a unanimous decision over Michael Larrimore for the vacant bantamweight title.
“They say in boxing, you’re not a real world champion until you defend your title,” Herring said, according to the New York Amsterdam News.
Dodson is a UFC veteran and former UFC flyweight title challenger who now holds BKFC’s 125-pound belt. He’s unbeaten in bare-knuckle at 4-0-1, and he’s moving up to 135 pounds to try to hold two BKFC titles at once.
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BKFC 95 Full Card
BKFC’s event page lists the card below. The card is subject to change.
Main card (9 p.m. ET)
- Jamel Herring (c) vs. John Dodson, for the BKFC bantamweight title
- Jimmie Rivera vs. Brandon Meyer, welterweight (co-main event)
- Santo Curatolo vs. Anthony Yost (featured fight)
- Tony Soto vs. Anthony Pike, lightweight
- Dalvin Blair vs. Paris Boyd, lightweight
- Noah Getahoun vs. Dustin Bailey, middleweight
- Dylan Pitt vs. Nicholas Saragosa, lightweight
Prelims (8 p.m. ET)
- Mike Medrano vs. Rob Emerson, welterweight
- Phil Caracappa vs. Cole Cameron
- Gabrielle Roman vs. Brooke Evans, women’s flyweight
Odds
Herring is the betting favorite at -266, with Dodson at +192, according to BKFC’s event page. In the co-main event, Rivera is a heavy -793 favorite over Meyer, who’s at +449.
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