David Feldman spent years trying to convince people that bare-knuckle fighting could grow beyond small venues. Putting a ring inside Fenway Park gave him a very different problem, deciding how to follow it.
The Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship founder and president says the promotion’s Aug. 29 debut at the home of the Boston Red Sox exceeded his expectations, and the response since then has pushed him toward another baseball stadium. Feldman told TMZ Sports that he already has one particular venue in mind.
Feldman said BKFC already does business with the venue he is targeting, but he did not say a contract has been signed or identify the city.
The stadium conversation is only part of what changed after Boston. Feldman also said sponsors from the Fenway event are asking about future deals and that BKFC is in discussions with what he called a “major, major television platform.”
Fenway Gave Feldman the Kind of Night He Had Been Chasing
@bareknucklefc BKFC has been making noise everywhere… now we’re taking over Fenway Park. 🤯 How does David Feldman top this? Stick around and find out. 👀 #BKFC92 ♬ original sound – bareknucklefc
Feldman described BKFC 92 as an “incredible” experience, remembering fireworks inside the ring as well as a larger display around the stadium. The setting mattered to him because of how dramatically it contrasted with the promotion’s earliest events.
He recalled progressing from a fight with only four people in attendance to an ice-skating rink in Cheyenne, Wyoming, and eventually to Fenway Park. BKFC has since described the Boston card as the biggest event in company history.
The fights produced milestones of their own. Kai Stewart defeated Harry Gigliotti by unanimous decision to improve to 10-0 and set a new BKFC record with his sixth consecutive successful title defense. Christine Ferea knocked out Sofia Landi in the second round, while longtime UFC veteran Joe Lauzon stopped Stash Kuykendall in round two of his bare-knuckle debut.
Venues and Sponsors Started Asking What Comes Next
The most revealing part of Feldman’s new interview came after the recap of fight night. He said BKFC is now hearing directly from venues interested in hosting the promotion. Sponsors involved at Fenway have apparently been just as eager. Feldman recalled companies asking, “When can you sign the contract?” and “When can you send it?” because, in his telling, they did not want to miss the promotion’s current momentum.
“What’s next is absolutely gonna be another baseball stadium,” he told TMZ Sports, adding that he is already targeting one location where BKFC has an existing business relationship. He stopped short of saying the venue has agreed to host an event.
Another baseball stadium would create an obvious spectacle. A different television partner could change something more fundamental, how easily viewers who do not already follow bare-knuckle fighting can find the promotion. Feldman said BKFC is currently in discussions with a “major, major television platform.”
BKFC Already Has Five Events Scheduled Before Another Stadium Is Named
Its official calendar already lists five events across the United States and international markets through mid-October. BKFC 93 takes place Sept. 11 at Hard Rock Live in Hollywood, Florida, followed by BKFC 94 at Manchester’s AO Arena on Sept. 26, headlined by Darren Till against Yoel Romero.
BKFC Fight Night Australia follows Oct. 3 at Eatons Hill Hotel in Queensland. The promotion then returns to Pennsylvania for a Bethlehem event on Oct. 9 before heading to Belgrade, Serbia, on Oct. 17 for a card at Beogradska Arena.