Bec Rawlings quickly earned the moniker “The Queen of Bare Knuckle” after stealing the show at BKFC 1 earlier this year. Next weekend she returns to action in the main event of Bare Knuckle FC 2.
Cageside Press was on the scene at the BKFC 2 media day earlier this week with Bec Rawlings, who along with her coach demonstrated the difference in hand wraps between MMA and bare knuckle.
Rawlings also tackled the subject of getting bare knuckle fighting sanctioned in more territories. The first BKFC card was the first legitimate, sanctioned bare knuckle event in the U.S. in over 100 years. In a sense, if the sport is to make a comeback in North America (it remains popular in the U.K.), it’s likely to go through a similar process to what MMA did.
“I feel like it’s going to be hard, just like it was for MMA back in the day,” Rawlings said of growing the sport. “A lot of places just weren’t having it, they didn’t like MMA, it was barbaric, it was this and that. It took a lot of time and effort to really get it respected and looked at as a proper sport. I think it’s going to take that for bare knuckle.”
BKFC 1, in her estimation, was a good start. “From the last event, how smoothly that ran, how professional the business ran, the fights were great, all professional, we all looked like seasoned fighters out there, which we were. I think that’s definitely what we need to keep doing, and it will progress from there,” she explained.
More states, and even Australia as well is where Rawlings feels the sport could go. The latter would be a big one, given it would give her a chance to pursue the sport back home. In fact if it’s done right — and Rawlings feels Bare Knuckle FC is doing it right — the former UFC strawweight feels bare knuckle fighting might actually have an easier path to legalization than MMA did.
BKFC 2 will look to continue doing things right — and entertaining in the process. The card takes place on August 25 at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum & Convention Center in Biloxi, MS. Rawlings takes on boxer Britain Hart in the main event.
