How the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship has pulled in some recognizable names in combat sports to compete has been surprising. BKFC 61 this Saturday was supposed to feature a former World Boxing Organization champion, Heather Hardy, taking on BKFC women’s flyweight champion Christine Ferea. An injury forced the fight to be postponed to a later event.
But no worry, the consolation prize for the fanbase was seeing former UFC fighter Jimmie Rivera and two-time Bellator featherweight champion Daniel Straus to battle in a featherweight bout. Online boxing news shows that Rivera comes from a wrestling background.
Rivera has been busy since leaving the UFC in August 2021. Rivera has fought three times in the BKFC, compiling a 1-1-1 record. Rivera lost his last fight against another former UFC veteran, Jeremy Stephens, due to a doctor’s stoppage in the second round.
Interestingly, Rivera also graduated from the New Jersey police academy in 2023. Straus had a bizarre debut in BKFC in April 2023. He fought Dat Nguyen in a fight that was ruled a draw after five rounds.
Instead of having the fight end in a draw, BKFC held a sixth round, which Nguyen won to pick up a unanimous decision. Straus was also a decorated high school wrestler before getting involved with mixed martial arts. This fight is interesting because neither man has found sustained success in the BKFC.
This one may end up going the distance. Neither man was known as a knockout artist during their MMA career. Back this one to go the distance, and the slight lean on this fight is Rivera to win because of his more experience.
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