Arnold Adams began his amateur MMA career back in 2007. He went 5-1 and his only loss was by an illegal punch that he threw in his second ever fight. After getting back to a four-fight winning streak, Adams turned pro but had a rough four-fight skid starting off professionally on the wrong foot. After earning a total record of 7-10, BKFC was getting ready to launch and put on its first ever event without gloves. Adams took the opportunity to pave the way for himself to climb to the top of a new sport.

Adams won his first two heavyweight matchups with doctor stoppages against DJ Linderman and Joey Beltran and then went on to become the promotion’s first ever heavyweight champion. On top of that, the Oak Forest, Illinois native became BKFC’s first ever two-time champion after defeating the up and coming Dillon Cleckler. With wins on his bare knuckle resume including former champion Mick Terrill and top contenders like Bobo O’Bannon, Adams has always been and will always be a boogeyman at heavyweight.

You will see speed and power mixed with superb counter striking and footwork. He’s not a brawler, but rather a cerebral, high fight IQ striker from distance that has pinpoint accuracy with his punches. As most heavyweights, Adams is highly dangerous in the early rounds with that risk factor for his opponents lessening later in the fight.

Arnold Adams is certainly hall of fame worthy in the sport of bare-knuckle and will continue to put the heavyweight division on notice for as long as he decides to compete. *At 39, there seems to be plenty of time for him to potentially become a three-time champ and go down as one of the scariest bare-knuckle fighters in history.