Tomorrow night’s BKFC main event literally can’t wait to get their hands on each other.
Bareknuckle Fighting Championship has had a stacked summer schedule, with a fight card almost every weekend.
Things are sure to heat up later this year as the face of BKFC and UFC veteran Mike Perry returns on Oct. 11 against an opponent that’s yet to be decided. Former middleweight title challenger Yoel Romero also makes his debut at BKFC 80 on Sep. 12.
As for now, the premier bareknuckle boxing promotion returns to Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, for the first time in a year.
Headlining this Saturday’s 10-fight card is a middleweight bout (175 lbs) between Canadian Drew Stuve and Contender Series alum Will Santiago.
The fans got a special ‘preview’ of the fight at the ceremonial weigh-ins.
Officials struggled to separate BKFC headliners in fiery face-off
After making weight on Friday, Santiago and Stuve faced off for the final time.
UFC veteran Chris Lytle overlooked the fighters as they bumped into each other.
Within seconds of contact, Santiago shoved Stuve and the headliners got into a heated battle from the clinch, where they fought for position.
Santiago and Stuve refused to let go as three BKFC officials stepped in, doing their best to pull the fighters apart.
It took two men, one of whom was BKFC cut man-turned-fighter and recent headliner Gee Perez, to hold off Santiago, backing him away from opponent Stuve on stage.
The bad blood between Santiago and Stuve will be settled tomorrow night from the River Cree Resort & Casino.
Will Santiago went three rounds with Kevin Holland on Dana White’s Contender Series
Before he became a BKFC headliner, Will Santiago was an MMA fighter with dreams of making it big in the UFC.
Santiago holds a record of 9-7 in pro MMA, but ‘The Brown Bomber’ has fought and lost to some top names such as Kevin Holland, Chris Curtis, and former UFC fighter Jared Gooden, who recently signed to BKFC.
Santiago fought for a UFC contract on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2018, unfortunately drawing a future top-ten contender in Holland.
Holland was unable to finish Santiago across three rounds and won a unanimous decision on the judges’ scorecards.
Santiago’s loss on Contender Series later turned into a three-fight losing skid, which he eventually came back from with two-straight victories in BKFC. The 42-year-old is currently 2-1-1 in the promotion.
