John Bryan has spent over two decades working for MGM, Disney and Warner Brothers and leads BYB’s broadcast and streaming partnership efforts. In regards to this acquisition Bryan noted, “The future is now. Major consumer brands and mainstream broadcasters and streaming services are quickly recognizing the untapped value of bare-knuckle fighting and its inevitable impact on the market.”

“BYB pioneered the sport and, having put together a sustainable roadmap for both the organization and the sport’s international growth, BYB has just accelerated this entire process by instantly increasing not only its live show output, but also its sponsored content library.”

BKB

Jim Freeman and Joe Smith-Brown began BKB in 2015l frequently running the Liverpool Echo Arena, London’s Indigo at the O2, has promoted internationally in Phuket, Thailand. BKB showcases a roster of over 175 combatants who are among some of the best bare-knuckle fighters in the world including Jimmy Sweeney, Marko Martinjak, Barrie Jones and Dan Chapman.

Both Freeman and Smith-Brown will stay with BYB in executive roles. Freeman will continue to handle day-to-day operations for BYB Extreme in Europe while Smith-Brown will stay on with BYB Extreme to oversee continued European expansion.

BYB president Mike Vazquez said, “This is an unprecedented tipping point in mainstream bare-knuckle fighting globally. Since the inception of both companies, we’ve maintained and developed a working relationship with BKB that has showcased cross-promotional fights since 2021, giving fans what they truly want and deserve: the best fighters in the world, taking the gloves off and facing one another in the oldest and purest form of combat sports. This acquisition was a natural next step in becoming the biggest, baddest bare-knuckle company in the world, with the largest international footprint and over 250 fighters from six continents and over two dozen countries, not to mention broadcasting on numerous platforms, globally, and to millions of people.”

BKB’s Smith-Brown stated, “Over the past decade, we’ve had the pleasure of growing alongside BYB, and in doing so are proud to have paved the way for bare-knuckle to grow throughout Europe and the World. BKB has been instrumental in ushering the fastest-growing combat sport on the planet to meet its growing international demand. We are proud to have created one of the world’s leading combat sports companies, and the acquisition by BYB is evidence of that. From here, the sky’s the limit. There’s now no better place or bigger stage than BYB for fighters and fans alike in the bare-knuckle arena.”

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Dada 5000 is best known for being the main character in the documentary “Dawg Fight,” as well as for his Bellator 149 brawl with the late Kimbo Slice. The fight with Slice was notable for Dada being rushed to hospital after the bout, allegedly having two heart attacks in the cage, and remaining hospitalized for weeks afterward. However, the loss would soon be turned into a no-contest following a drug-test failure from Slice. Dada 5000 would not be seen in the public eye for some time following the bout.

Last April Dada reemerged, and made the jump from promoting backyard fights to fights in a cage. Bare Knuckle Boxing has become something of a popular combat sport since its legalization in Wyoming in 2018. Dada 5000 launched BYB Extreme Fighting Series last April, another upstart Bare Knuckle organization. The promotion notably debuted the triangular “trigon” cage at the event, which has been proclaimed as the smallest cage in combat sports. Their first event was held in Wyoming, and after a year hiatus, BYB is back.

This time, the card is set to go down in Dada’s backyard of Hollywood, Florida. Taking place at the Hard Rock Casino, as of right now there are only two fights confirmed for the card, although Dada told Cageside Press that the card will likely be finalized this week with ten fights for the event. The main event for the card features Matt “The Attack” Kovacs taking on PFL veteran Muhammed “Mo Muscle” DeReese. The co-main is expected to be a showdown between Mike Trujilo, against Matt Delanoit. Trujillo and Delanoit both fought on the first BYB card as well.

The card is expected to be broadcast on PPV. In a statement to Cageside Press Dada 5000 said of the card: “It’s game over for the rest, the best done linked up with the best! On March 7, we will put together the greatest Bare-Knuckle show on Earth.”

The post Dada 5000’s “Brawl at the Rock” Set for March 7, PFL Vet Muhammed DeReese Faces Matt Kovacs appeared first on Cageside Press.

Dada 5000, also known as Dhafir Harris, is a former backyard fighter, and Bellator star most notable for nearly dying after his fight with Kimbo Slice at Bellator 149. After suffering a heart attack in the cage and being in cardiac arrest, Dada survived and subsequently went into the shadows for a bit. However, back from the dead, Dada is back in front of the MMA world. This time, in a promoter’s role.

Bare Knuckle Boxing has been a sport on the rise since the legalization of it in Wyoming among other states since last summer. Dada is capitalizing on this recent trend by bringing BYB Brawl 1: “Brawl For It All” to Cheyenne Ice & Event Center in Cheyenne, Wyoming, on April 5. The nine-fight card will be on PPV, on DirectTV, Dish, In Demand, and also on FITE TV for the low price of $25.

BYB Brawl 1 will be headlined by a rematch between “Chocolate” Alfonso Frierson and Mike Trujillo, who both appeared in the “Dawg Fight” documentary. Also, former Bellator and Contender Series competitor Jamelle Jones will square off against MMA veteran Matt Kovacs in another bout. All fights will be contested in the “Trigon Triangle” cage, a 187 square foot, triangle-shaped structure that includes 7-foot high fences.

According to a press release with Sherdog, Dada is “fully recovered” from the injuries he suffered against Slice in their 2016 bout. After a third-round TKO loss to Slice at the Toyota Center in Houston in which both fighters badly gassed, Dada was transported to a hospital, where he suffered from severe dehydration, fatigue, and renal failure. Dada alleged after the bout that he suffered two heart attacks as well, supposedly dying in the cage in the process.

However, Slice would test positive for performance-enhancing drugs after the fight and the fight would be overturned to a no-contest. This means that Dada 5000 died in the cage, and yet still didn’t lose. The press release also says that Harris is “far from being a retired fighter” and hints that he could return to compete under the BYB Promotion.

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February 19, 2016, was the date of the biggest Bellator card in their 11-year history, as well as the biggest debacle in the company’s history to this date. The card, which took place at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas, was notable for having two freakshow matchups in the main and co-main slots. Those fights being the trilogy fight between Ken Shamrock and Royce Gracie as the main event, and the grudge match between former street fighters Kimbo Slice and Dada 5000 at the co-main position.

Shamrock and Gracie III is a fight that on paper didn’t look that bad. Shamrock and Gracie are both pioneers of the sport, their bouts at UFC 1 and UFC 5 were huge, and also represented the first real rivalry in the history of the sport. A third bout seemed inevitable at some point. However, all that is thrown out the window when you realize both men were close to the age of 50 when the fight took place. Shamrock was 52, and Gracie was 49.

The fight then went the way that most people should’ve expected, Shamrock and Gracie threw nothing for about two minutes, then clinched. Gracie then used a move that would have made Cheick Kongo proud, and Royce gave Shamrock a nice knee below the belt. The referee didn’t notice, Shamrock went down, and Royce finished the fight with strikes. This was Gracie’s first and only victory via TKO in his career, and to top things off, Ken Shamrock tested positive for steroids after the bout. More shockingly, Royce Gracie didn’t test positive.

In the more dark part of the evening, Kimbo Slice fought Dada 5000. In the moment, the fight was hilarious, Kimbo and Dada gassed out almost immediately and is one of the most laughable fights in MMA history. The bout itself ended after Kimbo landed what seemed like the slowest 25-punch combination in MMA history as Dada was slumped against the fence. Dada then came plodding forward, got hit with a gust of wind, turned away, and fell over. The bout was then called off.

However, all the laughing would soon stop, as it was revealed that Dada had actually almost died following the fight. After allegedly having a heart attack in the cage, Dada was in the hospital for weeks following the fight. Dada 5000 was clearly not in the type of shape that should’ve been sanctioned, and he shouldn’t have been allowed to fight. But thankfully, Dada’s death was avoided, sadly, Kimbo’s wasn’t.

Following the fight, Kimbo Slice was scheduled for a fight with James Thompson in the UK for Bellator 158. Unfortunately, Slice would never make it to the bout, as he would pass away due to heart issues a month prior to the fight. This raised the question of how could Slice pass Texas’ medical tests in order to fight Dada just months prior? Also, how could Bellator sanction a fight between two fighters who clearly should not have been allowed to compete?

Three years later, this card still remains a very dark memory due to the Slice/Dada fight. The reality is that Bellator paid the price on this day three years ago, as they put on two freakshow fights that shouldn’t have been sanctioned. Athletic commissions were put into place following the early UFC events to protect fighters such as Kimbo Slice and Dada 5000, and they both nearly died. In the case of Slice, he did pass away months later.

Sadly, Bellator and the Texas State Athletic Commission didn’t protect them.

The post On This Day in MMA History: The Bellator 149 Fiasco appeared first on Cageside Press.