SPARKS FLY AS BKFC ARRIVES IN NEWARK, NJ WITH STAR-STUDDED OCTOBER 4 LAUNCH PRESS CONFERENCE
Click Here for Launch Press Conference Photos / BKFC
Click Here for Heated Confrontation Between Christine Ferea and Jessica Borga
Click Here for Full Launch Press Conference Video
Newark, NJ (August 21, 2025) The tension could be cut with a knife on Thursday afternoon at the Launch Press Conference for Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship’s (BKFC) highly anticipated New Jersey premiere. Thursday’s Press Conference was held in the Championship Plaza at the iconic Prudential Center in Newark, NJ — the host venue of BKFC-82 on Saturday, October 4, 2025, broadcast LIVE worldwide on DAZN.
“Platinum” Mike Perry, defends BKFC King of Violence Championship against Jeremy “Lil Heathen” Stephens, Undefeated BKFC Contender.
“I'm super grateful for all the hard work that I've done in my life to obtain this King of Violence belt. I'm on the martial arts lifestyle to be the best man that I can be; stronger, faster and just incredible in the ring. The most violent. I am the King of Violence. Come Oct. 4, we're going to spill some (expletive) blood in New Jersey. I'm so excited to be here. I've got a game opponent. Maybe he won't quit on y'all.”
“I'm going to punch him in the face so hard that he's just going to give up, like everybody else. I'm going to probably break his hands with my face too. He's going to be hurt.”
Jeremy “Lil Heathen” Stephens, Undefeated BKFC Contender.
“I made this happen. Delusions to reality. I’m back and I’m right at home with BKFC, and you guys are in for a (expletive) treat. You’re welcome.”
“It doesn't matter the round; I'm prepared for war. Perry can take it. If he wants to take it for all five rounds, his face is going to be a lot worse than it looked against (Eddie Alvarez).”
“I’m going to (expletive) smash you.”
David Feldman, BKFC Founder and President.
“This is a milestone for BKFC. We've attempted to get into the state of New Jersey for a long time and finally we're bringing this amazing, exciting combat sport to this great state, right here in Newark, NJ at the Prudential Center, where every major concert and every major team has been many times. Now, the most exciting combat sport in the world; Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship on Oct. 4.”
"My partner and my friend, Conor McGregor, was supposed to be here today but he couldn't make it at the last moment because he's very, very focused. He's training hard, because he said (Perry or Stephens) is probably his next fight.”
Frankie “The Answer” Edgar, Former UFC Superstar, makes BKFC premiere against Jimmie “El Terror” Rivera, BKFC Contender.
“As soon as I saw this sport, I was very intrigued. I’m a fighter, and this is the fight-iest of all combat sports, so I had to try it out. Why not do it here?”
“BKFC is intriguing. I used to fight for free with no gloves, so why not get paid to do it here in Newark? Training just for boxing is different. My neck and shoulders feel great.”
Jimmie “El Terror” Rivera, BKFC Veteran.
“It’s a pleasure fighting in my backyard. Frankie and I trained together in the past years ago, and it’s a pleasure to fight him. It’s all business in the Squared Circle. We’re going to go out there and show the fans South Jersey versus North Jersey.”
Christine “Misfit” Ferea, BKFC World Women’s Flyweight Champion, fights Jessica “The Black Widow” Borga, BKFC World Women’s Featherweight Champion, for the inaugural BKFC Queen of Violence Championship.
“Nothing about this girl worries me. She thinks she'll overpower me or use her reach to her advantage, but she has no idea what she's dealing with. I don't go down, and people are going to see the best 'Misfit' that night. They're going to see me go against the bigger fighter, and I have the IQ, physical skill and endurance to take everything she has. I'm better in every way. I'm only a little bit worried that she won't make weight.”
Jessica “The Black Widow” Borga, BKFC World Women’s Featherweight Champion.
“I've never not made weight. There hasn't been a problem in my entire MMA career or bare knuckle. There's no fear there. She says she's not afraid of me, but you can hear it in her voice. She says there are levels to this, but she's underestimating my level.”
Mike “The Lone Wolf” Trizano, Undefeated BKFC Contender.
“I enjoy fighting. This is my passion. I just want to be in there and test myself. This organization is awesome. I'm happy to be a part of it, and I want that belt.”
Larry Hazzard, New Jersey State Athletic Commission Director.
“You guys have made it now. We're looking forward to an exciting evening on Oct. 4. We're looking forward to it, and it's going to be a great evening. It's going to be our introduction to bare knuckle fighting, and I expect it's going to really grow and take off because there's a lot of potential here.”
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Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC), The World’s Fastest Growing Combat Sports Promotion, presents BKFC-82, a Truly Groundbreaking Event set for Saturday, October 4 emanating from the famed Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey headlined by the highly anticipated return of ‘The King of Violence,’ “Platinum” Mike Perry, defending his title in a light heavyweight clash against Jeremy ‘Lil Heathen’ Stephens.
BKFC-82 tickets are Now On-Sale and tickets may be purchased online at BKFC.com.
Prudential Center is located at 25 Lafayette St., Newark, NJ 07102. For more information visit their website at www.PruCenter.com.
With an attendance of 17,762 on Saturday, January 25, 2025 at the Wells Fargo Center, KnuckleMania V set a new modern-day combat sports record for the city of Philadelphia.
Drawing massive crowds and extraordinary global interest in his battles, no other bare-knuckle fighter has epitomized the warrior spirit of Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship as “Platinum” Mike Perry.
Perry, (5-0), made his imprint quickly in BKFC defeating bare-knuckle hardcore veteran Julian Lane over five hellacious rounds at KnuckleMania II on February 19, 2022. Following up on August 20, 2022 at London, England’s iconic Wembley Arena, Perry was victorious against hometown MMA Superstar Michael Page in a memorable clash decided by a sixth sudden-death round which instantly became an international viral sensation.
Back in the United States on April 29, 2023, Perry demolished Luke Rockhold over two merciless rounds towards a stoppage victory. Facing off against MMA legend Eddie Alvarez on December 2, 2023, Perry battered his way towards a stoppage at the end of round two. Headlining KnuckleMania V on April 27, 2024 in Los Angeles, CA, Perry savagely stopped former BKFC World Champion Thiago Alves in the opening round.
Following an outstanding professional MMA career Jeremy “Lil Heathen” Stephens, (3-0), smashed his way into the BKFC upper echelon on January 25, 2025 with a third-round stoppage of hometown legend Eddie Alvarez in front of a sold-out crowd at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, PA.
Previously Stephens had defeated Bobby Taylor on September 6, 2024 and stopped Jimmie Rivera in the third round on December 2, 2023.
UFC Hall of Famer Frankie ‘The Answer’ Edgar compiled a professional MMA record of 24-11 including a reign as the UFC Featherweight World Champion. Earning Four Fight of the Night Awards and Two Performance of the Night Awards, Edgar headlined Seven UFC Pay-Per-Views totaling over 2,000,000 buys. Among his historic victories include Chad Mendes, Uriah Faber, Jeremy Stephens, B.J. Penn, and Charles Olivera.
A Former Top Five UFC Bantamweight, Jimmie ‘El Terror’ Rivera led a professional MMA record of 23-5 over a thirteen-year career. Fighting in BKFC, Rivera’s record stands at 2-3, most recently challenging BKFC Featherweight World Champion Kai Stewart on November 5, 2024. Victories in BKFC have come against top contenders Daniel Straus and Bekhzod Usmonov.
Internationally Known as The Toughest Woman in Combat Sports, Christine ‘Misfit’ Ferea, (10-1), is a legend among bare-knuckle fighters, her first victory taking place at BKFC-3 on October 20, 2018. Fighting on February 19, 2022 at KnuckleMania II, Ferea defeated Britain Hart earning the BKFC Women’s Flyweight World Title. The Las Vegas native has made five dominant defenses in her reign most recently stopping Christine Vicens in the fourth round on December 21, 2024 in Hollywood, FL.
A native of Lakeland, FL, Jessica ‘The Black Widow’ Borga, (3-0), has won all three of her BKFC fights coming by stunning first round knockout. Capturing the BKFC Women’s Featherweight World Title, Borga knocked out professional boxing world champion Hannah Rankin in the opening stanza on April 5, 2025. Previous victories have come against Katherina Lehner (BKFC Fight Night Clearwater) and Sarah Click (BKFC-72).
Social Media
Instagram: @BareKnuckleFC
Twitter: @BareKnuckleFC
Facebook: @BareKnuckleFC
YouTube: @BareKnuckleFightingChampionship
TikTok: @BareKnuckleFC
Website: www.BKFC.com
Media Contact/Credentials
Bernie Bahrmasel
Double B Sports
Phone: + 1 773 592-2986
Email: BernieBahrmasel@yahoo.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.
About DAZN
DAZN is the home of European football, women’s football, boxing and MMA, and the NFL (excl. USA). DAZN is building the ultimate sports entertainment platform, based on premium sports rights, world-leading tech, and multi-platform distribution. DAZN believes that fans from across the globe should be able to watch, read, bet, play, share, socialize, buy tickets and merchandise, all in one place, with one account, one wallet and on one app. For more information on DAZN, our products, people, and performance visitdazngroup.com
ABOUT PRUDENTIAL CENTER
Prudential Center is the world-class sports and entertainment venue located in downtown Newark, New Jersey. Opened in October 2007, the state-of-the-art arena is the home of the National Hockey League’s (NHL) three-time Stanley Cup Champion New Jersey Devils, Seton Hall University’s NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball program, Professional Women’s Hockey League’s (PWHL) New York Sirens and more than 210 concerts, family shows and special events each year. Ranked in the Top 10 worldwide by Pollstar, Billboard and various other industry publications, Prudential Center is recognized as one of the premier venues in the United States, and hosts over 2 million guests annually. For more information about Prudential Center, visit prucenter.com and follow the arena on Facebook, X, Instagram, and TikTok @PruCenter. Prudential Center is a HBSE property.
