PHOTOS, VIDEOS, QUOTES - BKFC-76: HEATED PRESS CONFERENCE KICKS OFF FIGHT WEEK IN TEXAS
Click Here for Ben Bonner - Tony Soto Face-Off Confrontation
Click Here for Full Press Conference Photo Gallery / BKFC
Click Here for Full Press Conference Video / BKFC
Fort Worth, TX (June 19, 2025) Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC), The World’s Fastest Growing Combat Sports Promotions, hosted the heated Fight Week Press Conference for BKFC-76 on Thursday afternoon at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, TX.
Following the press conference in front of a large gathering of local and national media, main eventers Ben ‘The Bomber’ Bannon and Tony ‘Loco’ Soto wasted no time at their face-off, violently shoving each other on the stage before being separated.
The ‘Open to the Public’ Ceremonial Weigh-In and Final Face-Offs will take place tomorrow, Friday, June 20 at 5:30 p.m. CDT at Billy Bob’s Texas, 2520 Rodeo Plaza, Fort Worth, TX 86164.
BKFC-76 emanates from Dickies Arena this Saturday night, June 21, broadcast globally on DAZN. Remaining tickets for the live event can be purchased at BKFC.com.
Below are quotes from the participants at the press conference;
David Feldman, BKFC Founder/President
“I'm up here tonight like a fanboy. We've got these legends here, and there are so many amazing storylines for Saturday night. BKFC in Texas has been a long time coming. We've been trying to bring BKFC to Texas for six years, and it's finally here on Saturday night.”
“The winner of Saturday’s Main Event will be entered into our four-man tournament for the BKFC Lightweight World Title.”
“My goal is to have at least one women’s fight on each card, if not more. That’s my goal, so just bring it. I know these girls are going to bring it on Saturday night.”
Tony “Loco” Soto (6-1), fights Ben “The Bomber” Bonner (3-1) for the vacant BKFC Interim Lightweight World Title
“I’ve got a different opponent but the same agenda. I appreciate my opponent stepping up on short notice, but I’m going to break him on Saturday.”
“I'm going to break you into smithereens and send you back home like the baked beans you (expletive) eat overseas.”
Ben “The Bomber” Bonner (3-1), fights Tony “Loco” Soto (6-1) for the vacant BKFC Interim Lightweight World Title
“I’m going to punch (his) head in.”
“There’s only one way this fight goes, and that’s a win by knockout for me. Tony is a great fighter, but I see no way he beats me. On fight night I’ll be twice his size, I’ll have twice his power, and I’m going to put him out.”
Andrei “The Pitbull” Arlovski, former UFC Heavyweight World Champion, making his BKFC premiere against Josh “Cuddly Bear” Copeland
“My opponent is very tough. I'm very excited and, like Nike, just do it.”
“I want to face (BKFC Heavyweight World Champion) Ben Rothwell, but one step at a time. Josh is a tough opponent and I'm very excited. My family supports my fighting, and I love what I'm doing. Train hard, fight hard. This is going to be a great fight.”
Josh “Cuddly Bear” Copeland (2-1), fights Andrei “The Pitbull” Arlovski
“When they called me a couple weeks ago and told me that it was Arlovski, I got really excited, just out of respect to him. It’s not every day that you get the opportunity to fight one of the best guys to ever walk this world. I’m good, and I’m excited for the opportunity.”
Jessica “Evil” Eye, BKFC premiere against fellow former UFC fan-favorite fighter Mariya Agapova
“I’m focused on one task right now, and that’s Maria. The first task is on Saturday and, from there, we’ll make our next decision.”
Mariya Agapova, BKFC debut against fellow former UFC fan-favorite fighter Jessica “Evil” Eye
“Big respect to Jessica. Let's knuckle up and prove who's the stronger one. I'm really excited.
Kenzie Morrison, son of late boxing legend Tommy Morrison, BKFC debut against Alex “The Rhino” Davis (1-1)
“I think my father would be interested in BKFC and love it just like everyone else does.”
Cameron Delano, professional bull riding star, BKFC debut against Jesse Desrosier
“At the end of the day, I give all respect to my opponent. I've been hit hard as hell by a bull, and that's exactly what I'm looking for on Saturday night. Let's get in there and have a war.”
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Fort Worth, TX (June 19, 2025) Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC), The World’s Fastest Growing Combat Sports Promotion, has announced today the new main event for BKFC-76 next Saturday, June 21 at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, TX and broadcast globally on DAZN.
UK based bare-knuckle superstar Ben 'The Bomber' Bonner (3-1) will now face #1 Ranked
Tony ‘Loco’ Soto (6-1) for the vacant BKFC Interim Lightweight World Title. Due to visa issues, Franco Tenaglia is unable to travel to the United States and defend his BKFC Lightweight World Title against Soto in the previously announced main event.
A native of Yorkshire, England, Bonner most recently knocked out Lewis Keen in the first round on November 2, 2024, a stunning stoppage that immediately went viral in the international combat sports landscape.
Click Here to Watch Ben Bonner KO1 Lewis Keen.
Remaining tickets for BKFC-76 can be purchased online at BKFC.com and the Dickies Arena Box Office on the night of the event. Dickies Arena is located at 1911 Montgomery Street, Fort Worth, TX 76107.
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Following a legendary MMA career, Andrei ‘The Pitbull’ Arlovski of Coconut Grove, FL will make his BKFC debut in the co-main event on June 21 against battle-tested veteran Josh Copeland,
(2-1), of Denver, CO.
Competing in the feature fight at BKFC-76, ‘Evil’ Jessica Eye of Las Vegas, NV makes her BKFC debut in the flyweight division against MMA rival Mariya ‘Money Mashka’ Agapova, of Kazakhstan, now fighting out of Coconut Grove, FL.
With a stellar professional boxing record of 22-1-2 including 20 victories by knockout, Jay, Oklahoma native Kenzie Morrisonis tailor made for BKFC’s deep heavyweight division as he makes his bare-knuckle debut against Alex ‘Rhino’ Davis, (1-0), of Cole Mountain, West Virginia. Morrison is the son of Former World Heavyweight Boxing Champion Tommy Morrison.
Also, fighting in the heavyweight division, Anthony ‘Lionheart’ Garrett, 2-0, of Kansas City, KS faces BKFC debuting Haze ‘The Hooligan’ Wilson, of Tulsa, OK. In the light heavyweight division, Nevada native, Terryl ‘Taj Mahal’ Johnson, makes his BKFC debut against Kevin Sims, (0-1), of California.
Lightweights will see action with Texas cross-state rivals Derek ‘The Stallion’ Campos, of Lubbock and Jake ‘The Grinder’ Heffernan of Houston facing off in their BKFC debuts. Fighting in the bantamweight division, Brandon ‘The Voodoo Child’ Meneses, (0-1), of Fort Worth, TX faces BKFC debuting Willie ‘Whoop Ass’ Gates of Fontana, CA.
Fighting in the welterweight division, BKFC debuting Darren ‘D-Day’ Whitney of Texas, faces Rodney Hinton, (1-0). Lightweight Texas native James Gray will fight for the first time under the BKFC banner against Roderick ‘Icewater’ Stewart, (1-2).
Fighting in the cruiserweight division, BKFC newcomers Cameron Delano of Texas and Montana native Jesse Desrosier will face off. Also debuting in the men’s flyweight division Christian ‘The Hawk’ Hawkins of Duncanville, TX battles Houston’s Micah ‘Dynamite’ White. Welterweight Jeremy Sauceda, (2-2), of Odessa, TX battles BKFC debuting Israel ‘Rooster’ Rodriguez of Amarillo, TX.
Social Media
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Twitter: @BareKnuckleFC
Facebook: @BareKnuckleFC
YouTube: @BareKnuckleFightingChampionship
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Website: www.BKFC.com
Media Contact/Credentials
Bernie Bahrmasel
Double B Sports
Phone: + 1 773 592-2986
Email: Bernie@BKFC.com
Twitter: @BernieBahrmasel
About Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC)
Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) is the first promotion allowed to hold a legal, sanctioned, and regulated bare knuckle event in the United States since 1889. Based in Philadelphia, and headed by President and former professional boxer David Feldman, BKFC is dedicated to preserving the historical legacy of bare knuckle fighting, while utilizing a specifically created rule set that emphasizes fighter safety. BKFC holds all of its bouts in a revolutionary circular four-rope ring, designed to encourage fast-paced and exciting bouts. The patented BKFC “Squared Circle” contains scratch lines, based on the Broughton Rules which governed bare knuckle fighting in the 19th century, and which requires fighters to “Toe the Line”: start every round face to face, and just inches apart.
In BKFC, only those fighters who are established professionals in boxing, MMA, kickboxing, or Muay Thai are allowed to compete. The referees and judges are required to have extensive professional combat sports experience. All fights are held under the auspices and control of an Athletic Commission. Unlike other fighting organizations and combat sports internationally which claim to be “bare knuckle”, but require wraps, tape, and gauze; BKFC is true to its word as fighters are not allowed to wrap their hands to within one inch of the knuckle. This makes BKFC unquestionably the truest form of bare knuckle fighting. BKFC is dedicated to not just creating the safest, most exciting, and highest-level bare-knuckle fighting organization in the world, it’s also leading the way for a new fully recognized professional combat sport. BKFC is truly the sport of the future, which fully respects its remarkable past.
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