BKFC 52 Results

Keith “The Rockstar” Richardson shocked combat sports fans around the world on Friday, Oct. 20 by dethroning defending Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) World Bantamweight Champion Reggie “Educated Hands” Barnett Jr. in the Main Event of BKFC 52 at Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, SC, LIVE on The BKFC App.

The hard-hitting Rock Hill, SC fighter improved to 4-0 with his third straight stoppage after dropping the defending champ Barnett Jr. three times in two rounds. The fight was stopped 58 seconds into Round 2, with Richardson the winner via TKO. Barnett Jr., of Chesapeake, VA, was the No. 3 fighter on the BKFC Pound-for-Pound rankings heading into fight night and is widely regarded as one of the greatest to ever grace the Squared Circle. With the loss, his record falls to 9-3.

Richardson devoted the fight to the memory of his father, who passed away earlier this year.

“This one's for you, pops,” Richardson told the sold-out Colonial Life Arena.

In the BKFC 52 Co-Main Event, the red-hot Tony “Loco” Soto improved to 6-0 in the Squared Circle with a unanimous decision victory over the previously unbeaten Kevin “Crash” Croom in their highly anticipated lightweight showdown.

The undefeated Hickory, NC product entered fight night as the No. 3 contender in the stacked BKFC lightweight division, and called for a shot at defending BKFC World Lightweight Champion Luis “Baboon” Palomino after his victory. Croom, UFC vet representing Kansas City, MO, fell to 2-1 with the loss.

Jeremie “Hit Em” Holloway earned the first victory of his BKFC career with a unanimous decision over the debuting Cameron “Jump Man” VanCamp. Judges scored the highly entertaining welterweight matchup 49-46, 48-47, 49-46 in favor of the Conover, NC fighter Holloway, who improved to 1-0-1 with the win over the Indianapolis, IN-based UFC vet VanCamp.

In his BKFC debut, Swansea, SC’s Solon “Solo” Staley weathered an early blitzing before dropping Darrick “The Buck” Gates with a series of uppercuts at the end of the first round in their featherweight showdown. The fight was stopped by the doctor between Round 1 and Round 2 after the Eagle, ID product couldn’t continue due to breathing issues. Gates’ record dropped to 1-4, 1 NC with the loss.

Myrtle Beach, SC lightweight Brandon “The Dream Killer” Bushaw earned his second KO under the BKFC banner with a second-round stoppage victory over Atlanta’s Josh “Danger” Marer. The fight was stopped 50 seconds into Round 2. Bushaw upped his BKFC record to 2-0, 1 NC with the win, while Marer slid to 0-3.

The debuting Jeremiah Scott celebrated his 30th birthday in style at BKFC 52 with a come-from-behind victory over Chevy “Wild Man” Bridges in their lightweight clash. The Myrtle Beach, SC fighter picked himself up off the canvas at the end of the first round to drop Bridges twice in the third, resulting in a KO stoppage just four seconds shy of the fourth frame. With the loss, Bridges’ record fell to 1-3.

Derek “Rage” Perez dropped Ace Samples twice in the second round of their bantamweight bout, paving the way for a TKO victory 44 seconds into the second stanza of their matchup. Perez, who hails from Belen, NM, improved to 2-1 with the win; the Madcow, GA-based Samples drops to 1-1.

Summerville, SC’s Trukon “The Carolina Gamedog” Carson floored the debuting Daishaun “The Raging Demon” Middleton of Gastonia, NC three times in the first minute of their welterweight bout to open the BKFC 52 Main Card with a 61-second KO. Carson is now 2-1 on the strength of back-to-back, first-round finishes.

Daniel “Super” Cooper kicked off his BKFC career with a bang as the Columbus, GA fighter defeated Miach “The Machine” Lail of Conover, NC in light-heavyweight action. The doctor called a stop to the fight after Lail, who was also making his Squared Circle debut, was deemed unable to continue due to intense swelling around his eye.

In the opening bout of the night, Bekhzod “Lion” Usmonov earned his first victory under the BKFC banner with a third-round, standing TKO victory over Trevor Loken in their featherweight showdown. The bout was stopped 24 seconds into the third round. The Tajikistan-born, Albuquerque, NM fighter climbed to 1-1 with the win, while Loken, of Raleigh, NC, fell to 1-2 with his second straight loss.

BKFC 52 Main Card

Keith Richardson def. Reggie Barnett Jr. via TKO in Round 2 (0:58)

Richardson wins BKFC World Bantamweight Title

Tony Soto def. Kevin Croom via Unanimous Decision (50-45x2, 48-47)

Jeremie Holloway def. Cameron VanCamp via Unanimous Decision (49-46, 48-47, 49-46)

Solon Staley def. Darrick Gates via TKO (doctor stoppage) in Round 1 (2:00)

Brandon Bushaw def. Josh Marer via KO in Round 2 (0:50)

Jeremiah Scott def. Chevy Bridges via KO in Round 3 (1:56)

Derek Perez def. Ace Samples via TKO in Round 2 (0:44)

Trukon Carson def. Daishaun Middleton via KO in Round 1 (1:01)

BKFC 52 Preliminary Card

Daniel Cooper def. Miach Lail via TKO (doctor stoppage) in Round 4 (2:00)