David Feldman Interview: BKFC, Conor McGregor, Fenway Park

Bare knuckle boxing is on the rise. BKB is breaking records on TikTok and BKFC is backed by Conor McGregor and doing a huge show at Fenway Park in September. I sat down with BKFC founder and CEO David Feldman to discuss the upcoming events and the possibility of McGregor boxing bare knuckle. The entire interview is here to watch and the Q&A is just below. Let’s talk bare knuckle.

David Feldman and BKFC Key Facts

Is Bare Knuckle Boxing Still Misunderstood?

Brian Mazique: Right now I feel like there is a boom, so to speak, in bare knuckle as a sport overall. Obviously BKFC was out in front of that from the beginning in terms of leading it. There have been some situations where it feels like there are these peaks, and I think we’re in one right now for sure. What do you think is the biggest change in BKFC’s business and fan base that people outside the company still don’t understand even at this point?

David Feldman: I think a lot more people understand it than ever did. I think the number one job was really to change perception, get people to understand and educate the fans on what it is. Now that they understand that the injury rate is not as bad as what they think it is and not as brutal as what they think it is — yes, it’s bloody, yes, it’s exciting, yes, it’s fun. It’s borderline brutal. It’s not really brutal, but it’s bare knuckle fighting. So your perception is going to be that it’s a backyard street fight. It’s a bar fight. As you know, following it for a few years now, it’s anything but that. It’s a very professional atmosphere with very well-tested professional athletes in there. And we’re giving the fans, I believe — bare knuckle fighting in general is giving the fans the most exciting form of combat sports right now.

Why Do Boxers Think Longer Than MMA Fighters Before Going Bare Knuckle?

Brian Mazique: One thing I think people don’t get is when we see fighters who may have gained some level of fame or recognition in another combat sport and they come to bare knuckle, I don’t think people understand how much thought process those fighters are putting in before they decide to do this. Fighters know what they’re getting into. I feel like that’s a misconception with the public.

David Feldman: No, I do as well. I think the fighters definitely analyze this. And I think boxers more than MMA guys. I think MMA guys are a little bit more risk takers, and the boxers really want to make sure that this is the jump for them, right? Because they’re used to getting hit with padded gloves on. Not that there’s anything easy about that, but at the end of the day they’re not getting cut with every punch. It’s a different pain. It’s not a stun. It’s not like you’re dazed, which you can be in bare knuckle. But it’s like you get hit on the cheekbone. You’re like, ah, that hurt. Not necessarily like, boom, I just got dazed. So it’s a different type of thing. It’s a different level of combat sport. And I think it is well analyzed by the fighters before they make their jump. Some make the jump fast and some it takes a little bit longer.

What Is the Next Big Milestone for BKFC?

Brian Mazique: When you look at the next year, year and a half, what is the single most important milestone that BKFC needs to reach, or that you’d like to reach, at the level you envision?

David Feldman: Sure. Well, we’ve already done some very large crowds. We’ve broke attendance records in major cities. So we’ve done some real big milestones like that. But I think the milestone that turns the corner for BKFC is a very significant media rights deal. And I think that’s on the horizon right now. So as soon as we can tie that up and lock that up, I think that puts BKFC really in just a great seat among combat sports in general, the major combat sports promotions.

But we’ve got Fenway Park coming up here at the end of August. I mean, that’s iconic. That’s unbelievable. Never thought that I would ever be at Fenway Park when I started bare knuckle fighting, but we are. We’re going to the AO Arena on September 26th. And last September we did 6,500 people there. This September we’re going to do 18,000 people there. So there’s a lot of big jumps that we’ve been able to do and a lot more jumps that we have to do. But I do believe that the significant media rights deal is the game changer for BKFC and for the sport of bare knuckle in general.

Brian Mazique: I think that’s something some fans don’t understand as well — that for every combat sport promotion, not just bare knuckle, the biggest and most valuable piece is distribution, and where is that streaming rights deal going to come from? That’s the game changer that changes everything for every promotion. That’s not BKFC specific, that’s everybody.

How Does BKFC Balance Crossover Stars With Homegrown Fighters?

Brian Mazique: How do you balance signing or recognizing the crossover names with continuing to build homegrown BKFC talent? I kind of think this, and tell me if you agree. I feel like it’s almost like professional wrestling in a sense. When you look at AEW, they get a lot of old WWE guys and a lot of old WWE girls and stuff like that. But the value to me is when they have a talent like MJF, who is straight from them. He has become one of their biggest stars. So how do you balance that concept of, okay, I got this person who used to be a boxer, used to be MMA — but this person, we made them a star on this platform?

David Feldman: Well, I think the question is almost the answer. It is a perfect balance between that. So you have to bring in the bigger names, the recognizable names, because that brings in their fan base. And then their fan base is able to watch these up-and-coming talent that we’re actually developing from the ground up.

When I started this, I did this June 2nd, 2018. I was the first legally sanctioned and regulated bare knuckle promotion ever. There were other promotions doing some things. It was never regulated or legal before ever. Today there’s over a hundred bare knuckle promotions in the world. So the sport of bare knuckle is getting recognized. Because of that, it’s easier to grow fighters from the ground up now, because they can start their combat sports journey in bare knuckle fighting — because there’s opportunities in multiple places. Before there wasn’t. There was one place, or maybe two places, or tops three places to start that journey. Now they can start it. If it doesn’t work for BKFC, you can go to a different organization. You can start there. Then maybe you can work your way up to BKFC.

But with the big names from the crossover promotions, it’s important, because on the small names, you might get a better fighter with three or four fights than a guy with 20 fights. He might be better, but the media is not going to write about him. So you need the crossover stars. So you get the media attention. You get to read about it, listen to it and watch it on the media. And you get that ticket sale. That’s who sells the tickets right now. They come in, they watch it.

I just tell you — I think you’ve been to a bare knuckle before, but if you haven’t, if you come to bare knuckle live, you’re a fan for life. You have to be. If you’re a combat sports fan, it’s unbelievable. There’s nothing else like it. So that’s another form of advertising, to get these big names and get them over. That’s kind of how we bucket it in our expenses. That’s a marketing expense for us.

Will Bare Knuckle Ever Stop Borrowing Fighters From Boxing and MMA?

Brian Mazique: I think bare knuckle is going through a time period very similar to what MMA did. When MMA first started, especially in the United States about 30-something years ago with the UFC, you saw those early events and they were always introducing, this person is a boxer, this person is a kickboxer. Nobody trained MMA. That was the reason, because it was so new. But now it feels like bare knuckle is in a similar situation, right at this early stage. I’ve got this person that’s a boxer, a mixed martial artist. But as we continue to grow, it won’t be that anymore. This person will come up bare knuckle from the beginning. Is that how you see it?

David Feldman: Brian, it was like this before there was an opportunity. Before, a lot of the guys condemned me. They said, you’re getting the older MMA guys or the elder boxers. And I said, well, if you can tell me where the current bare knuckle fighters are, I’ll grab them. There are none, because it’s never been around. So we had to develop them, right?

So we got those guys to come over, and now there’s opportunity for these guys. There’s smaller shows. For us, for BKFC, there’s a Road to BKFC show. There’s a BKFC Fight Night. We have a Fight Club. We have different levels of events. So we can walk these guys into the lower level, and then they can start rising on that elevator to get to the top and to get to the big shows at BKFC and build themselves as a star in BKFC. We’ve done that with about a dozen guys so far. And I think in the next year or two — my goal is about 18 months or two years from now — they never have to really borrow somebody from boxing or MMA, because we’re bringing everybody up from the ground up.

What Is BKFC Doing With the Production at Fenway Park?

Brian Mazique: That is one of the truest signals that the growth has been there. Not that if somebody comes with a big name you’re going to turn them down, but you can fill a card without a problem, easily, with just pure bare knuckle people. And the community is so strong that these people have begun to be recognized that way.

You mentioned some of the upcoming cards, and the Boston card is particularly interesting because it takes place in Fenway Park. What I like about that is it’s synonymous with the Red Sox, but it’s not synonymous with combat sports. So I feel like you have an opportunity there to stick a flag in the ground, like if we can keep coming back here maybe annually. What are you guys doing from a production standpoint to make it pop on TV, because we’re in Fenway Park?

David Feldman: I mean, we’re doing a lot. We have a great production team. I can’t say enough about my production team. They always find a way to one-up the last event and to figure things out. I don’t know exactly what they’re doing, but they told me they’ve got some really good surprises for us. I went over budget and I was like, I’m allowing a little extra money here, go do the wow factor for the fans. And they’re doing it. We’re doing some great things there.

I think we’re on pace to sell out for what we initially set up for. And I think mid next week we’ll open up another two to 4,000 seats there at Fenway Park. So I think the Fenway Park people are going to be happy. The fans are going to be happy. We’re going to be happy.

We almost went into a multi-fight deal at the beginning of this, but then they kind of pulled back and said, let’s just see how it goes and make sure it’s good. And I think that when they see this, we’re definitely gonna be able to ink that multi-fight deal. And it’s just unbelievable, man. I started this thing. I started bare knuckle in a warehouse with one fight and four people there, man. And to be able to bring this sport and bring my promotion to Fenway Park, on the field at Fenway Park, man — it’s like pinch me, man. It’s unbelievable.

Brian Mazique: I’m hoping, like you said, you don’t know exactly what you guys are going to do from a production standpoint, but I’m hoping there’s some utilization of the Green Monster. On some level, some big BKFC banner that has Kai Stewart and Gigliotti on it, or something just thrown over it. That would be unbelievable. That’s going to create a visual that nobody will forget.

What Makes Darren Till vs. Yoel Romero Worth Watching?

Brian Mazique: Speaking of other upcoming events, the massive one — BKFC 94 in Manchester, Darren Till and Yoel Romero. This one, I’m telling you, is crazy. First of all, Yoel Romero is not a human being.

David Feldman: Yeah, I call him — Brian, I call him the oldest teenager in the world.

Brian Mazique: I mean, the dude is like — I’ll tell you myself, we’re like the same age, and if I see a picture of him I just swipe by real fast, because he just makes me feel bad. What is it like promoting a fight with Yoel Romero in it?

David Feldman: Well, he’s always easy to work with. But I used to be a fighter. So I grew up around fighters my whole life, and I get in the middle of fighters and I’m never really worried about anything. But this — we had a stare-off, and I was like, all right, guys, come on. And then I grabbed Yoel and I’m like, all right, come on, turn in. And he looks at me and he goes, get your hands off me. And I was like, whoa, whoa. Not getting thrown across the room by you.

But it’s great. I mean, look, he’s going to come to fight. He’s big, he’s strong. He takes a great punch. He can punch. And he’s fighting a guy that can also fight, can also do everything that I just said about Yoel Romero. Man, I’m just excited about it. I’m excited because we’re almost at this stage already. We’ve almost sold the same amount of tickets we sold last September in like 10 days into the ticket sale. So that’s very, very big for BKFC. It’s an awesome event. It really solidifies us as one of the leaders in combat sports in the UK because of the amount of tickets. So look, we can talk, we can write, we can say anything we want about our organization, but the numbers don’t lie. If we sell tickets, that tells the story.

Brian Mazique: If you sell tickets, it definitely tells the story. And then once you get the viewership situation with a new streaming partner or new broadcast partner, then those numbers don’t lie. And then that becomes what it is, and people can think or say what they want to say. But Jay-Z once said, men and women lie, numbers don’t.

Now, it’s funny. We’re talking about BKFC 94 with Yoel, and I am perpetually just impressed by the athlete that Yoel is. But if you really know the sport and understand combat sports, he’s probably — I haven’t even looked at the odds, but I’m assuming he’s probably an underdog, because Darren Till is a more skilled boxer than Yoel Romero is. And Darren Till’s not a little guy. He’s a big dude. So how are you seeing this matchup? Not like a prediction, but what interests you about it?

David Feldman: I mean, it just interests me because in the sport of bare knuckle in general, it’s the unknown. I get it’s that way in combat sports, but it’s more in bare knuckle, because I know in boxing one punch can change anything, but literally one little punch — you hit him in the eye. Anything can change in bare knuckle very, very fast.

And for it to be so evenly odds — the last time I checked, I think Darren Till was a slight favorite over Yoel Romero. But here’s the thing. When it’s a close matchup like that, that’s the best, what you want. You don’t want a five-to-one underdog, because people aren’t as interested unless you’re building a Mike Tyson. They don’t care if he’s a 50-to-one underdog. They know you’re going to come in there and see him knock him out. But for these even matches, it makes people intrigued about it, because they don’t know who — it’s the question marks that intrigue people in watching combat sports.

So the question mark is, who’s going to win? Is Yoel Romero going to turn old on this night on September 26th? Or is he going to amaze everybody and still stay the youngest old guy in combat sports? Or is Darren Till going to say, no, this is my time, and I finally evolved as a fighter the way I want to, and I’m going to knock out someone that’s never really been knocked out, Yoel Romero? You know, that’s it. The question marks really make the intrigue for these fights. And I’m excited about it. I’m the biggest fan in BKFC. As a fan, this is a fan’s match.

Could BKFC End Up on Netflix?

Brian Mazique: This matchup makes me think about something, because of what we talked about with the approach of getting some of the crossover stars. Netflix has become a humongous player in the whole combat sports era. It started with WWE going there, and then Jake Paul’s fights have been there. Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury’s fight. But what Netflix seems to want is that they don’t necessarily want to marry themselves to a promotion. They want the freedom to do single big, huge events.

David Feldman: Absolutely.

Brian Mazique: My thought is, I’m looking at a fight like Till–Romero and stuff like that. Do you see yourself as, hey, there’s times when we can walk to Netflix and say, here’s the event that we have?

David Feldman: I know there is. I know there is. And actually, Brian, you actually said that absolutely perfect. Almost like from the horse’s mouth, because that’s exactly what they told me. They said, listen, bring us a super fight. We’ll take it. We’re not getting in bed with a promotion, but give us a super fight and we’ll take it.

Now, they might get in bed with Jake Paul, because maybe he’s going to give them four super fights a year. But if you give them a super fight, they will take it. And we’re always thinking about that. And I think as bare knuckle is getting more accepted now, and as people are more comfortable with it, these crossover fighters could make for some great super fights for us. So I don’t think it’s an impossibility to see us have a fight on Netflix in the next six months or so.

Will Conor McGregor Fight Bare Knuckle?

Brian Mazique: So it won’t be in the next six months — obviously, this next question I’m about to ask. But do you see it as a possibility that Conor McGregor could be in one of those fights?

David Feldman: I see that Conor McGregor — I talked to him last night — more focused, more enthused ever for his comeback. Sounded really, really great, Brian. Like the Conor McGregor that I’ve never really seen before. Just unbelievably focused, hyped, ready to go on that comeback, ready to jump back in on the promotional side with us. We gave him some time off because I didn’t want to interrupt his training. I didn’t want him to do that. And then obviously he had a month or so after his fight, so he could get back on. He’s all in again. We’re going to film the World’s Baddest Man. He’s going to start filming that in September. So he’s all in with everything that we’re doing.

But I really, really would bet my house that you see Conor McGregor fighting BKFC after his next fight.

What Is the Latest on the $25 Million World’s Baddest Man Tournament?

Brian Mazique: That would be awesome. I have one last question. I know you’ve got to go. I’d be remiss if I didn’t ask you. What is the latest update on the $25 million tournament? Because I’m going to be honest, when I first saw it, I said, wait, what? I started trying to figure out if I could do it.

David Feldman: Here’s what happened. I was sitting there at the end of the year and a reporter called me and he said, you got anything you’re cooking up for next year? And I was thinking about it, but it wasn’t planned. That’s why it took so long. Just so you know, I didn’t have it planned when I announced it. I was just thinking about it. So I said, I’m going to do the World’s Baddest Man tournament, $25 million tournament. And it took a lot longer than I thought.

But that’s what I’m talking about — the tryouts for the World’s Baddest Man. My first tryout is September 12th in Miami. The second tryout is September 25th in Manchester. Third tryout is October 2nd in Australia. Fourth tryout is October 16th in Serbia. And then we’re going to get that pool together. We’re going to start filming, the show airs mid next year on Fox Nation. And then the finals will be on Fox, and it’s going to be a great, great tournament. So that’s the update on that. Definitely took longer than I thought it was going to happen, but that’s why — it wasn’t like I planned it and then I set it out. I never really thought I was going to do it when I announced it, but I put my foot in my mouth and now we’re doing it.

Brian Mazique: There we go. All right. Well, David, I appreciate your time so much, man. Looking forward to seeing the momentum of the next few events. For anybody that doesn’t know, the next event is not BKFC 92 or 94. We’ve got BKFC Fight Night Mohegan Sun. It’s Henry versus Trinidad. That’s on August 21st. Then August 29th is BKFC 92 in Boston, and then BKFC 93 in Hollywood, which is Perdomo versus Garrett. And then we go to Till versus Romero, which is on September 26th.

David Feldman: Absolutely. Busy, busy schedule, man.

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