The fiftieth show in promotion history proved that the bare-knuckle outfit, which had resurrected the sport of bare-knuckle boxing, if nothing else had staying power. Yes, the business model still relied on picking up stars from other sports (MMA primarily, and boxing), but if exciting fights were the end result, who was about to complain?

For BKFC 50, it was cruiserweight champion Lorenzo Hunt topping the billing, defending his title against former UFC athlete Chris Camozzi. Hunt sported an impressive 10-1 record in bare-knuckle and had won eight straight fights coming into his latest title defense, while Camozzi had won his first two outings in the sport.

In the co-main event, former UFC heavyweight and PFL champ Josh Copeland was in action, taking on Steve Herelius.

BKFC 50 takes place at the 1st Bank Center in Denver, CO on Friday, September 22, 2023 and airs live on the BKFC App. Full results can be found below. The preliminary card gets underway at 8PM ET and can be found below.

BKFC 50: Hunt vs. Camozzi Full Results

Main Card

Lorenzo Hunt (c) def. Chris Camozzi by split decision (48-47, 47-48, 49-46) — for the BKFC cruiserweight championship
Josh Copeland def. Steve Herelius by TKO, Round 3, 1:43
Marcus Edwards def. Michael Manno by unanimous decision (50-45, 50-45, 50-45)
Keegan Vandermeer def. Dillion Winemiller by KO, Round 1, 1:00
Andrew Angelcor def. Brett Hudson by TKO Round 1, 1:09
Tony Jenkins def. Brian Maronek by TKO, Round 1, 1:18
Andrew Yates def. Christian Torres by unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 48-47)
Monica Franco def. Khortni Kamyron by split decision (46-49, 48-46, 48-47)
Andrew Strode def. Cary Caprio by TKO, Round 2, 0:40

Preliminary Card

Dominick Carey def. Angelo Trujillo by DQ (illegal strikes), Round 1, 0:38
Lamont Staford def. Gabriel Mota by KO, Round 3, 0:40
Zeb Vincent def. Jessie Stalder by KO, Round 1, 0:59

The post BKFC 50: Hunt vs. Camozzi Full Results appeared first on Cageside Press.

The Colorado-based Pay-Per-View was arguably the promotion’s most stacked to date, with Luke Rockhold and Eddie Alvarez making their debuts. Rothwell, meanwhile, was in his sophomore outing in the company against Copeland, who had also made a name for himself in the PFL.

The pair clinched up early, with Copeland firing a blistering right off the break. That right hand would land again moments later, and a step-in right after that. Rothwell then exploded forward with a combo, before the pair tied up against the ropes, leading to the ref stepping in. But there was no shortage of action, with both men landing heavy blows in the opening round, leaving Rothwell bloodied.

The biggest surprise through the opening three minutes, perhaps, was that despite all the violence, the fight went three minutes.

The second round saw Ben Rothwell score the first knockdown of the fight, just past the midway mark of another active frame. Smelling blood, Rothwell went right back to work on the restart, but Copeland held on, and went back to his step-in right hand. Rothwell began lighting “Cuddly Bear” up again, however, backing him up to the ropes. Somehow, Copeland made it to the bell in another very active round.

“Big” Ben went right after Copeland in the third, firing uppercuts, right hands, and walking Copeland down. He ripped the body, working over Copeland in a clinch. Copeland was proving incredibly durable, but he was taking a beat. Rothwell had found his rhythm, found his range, and was essentially just teeing up his shots and letting rip at will. The ref took a close look, but Copeland survived the round.

Thankfully for Copeland, who was clearly in “too tough for his own good” territory, his corner preferred to see him live to fight another day. They threw in the towel following the third, giving Ben Rothwell the TKO win.

Following the fight, “Big” Ben called for a title fight with Alan Belcher, current BKFC heavyweight champ. Rothwell added that there’s one opponent he cannot beat, Father Time — so he wants that fight soon.

Official Result: Ben Rothwell def. Josh Copeland by TKO (corner stoppage), Round 3, 3:00

The post BKFC 41: Ben Rothwell Earns TKO Over Incredibly Durable Josh Copeland appeared first on Cageside Press.

Rockhold, who requested his release from the UFC last year, was paired up with a fellow UFC alum in “Platinum” Mike Perry, who had promised to “headbutt” the former Strikeforce champ’s hands in the hopes of breaking them. Alvarez, meanwhile, had a slightly less dramatic build-up to his fight with Chad Mendes, which served as the evening’s co-main event.

For Mendes, his fight against Alvarez had the possibility of being his last in combat sports. Citing other successful business interests, Mendes admitted ahead of BKFC 41 that he doesn’t need to fight, though the money — a key motivator for Chad “Money” Mendes — was good, so nothing was certain.

Alvarez, for his part, was simply looking to turn things around after a disappointing run in ONE Championship, which saw the former Bellator MMA and UFC lightweight champion post a 1-2, 1NC record across four fights.

“Queen of Bareknuckle” Bec Rawlings was also in action at BKFC 41, against Christine Ferea, while “Big” Ben Rothwell looked to make it 2-0 in BKB against fellow UFC veteran Josh Copeland. The hard-hitting Brandon Girtz, a longtime Bellator MMA standout, was paired up with Christian Torres, while Chris Camozzi and Daniel Spohn also faced off.

BKFC 41 takes place on Saturday, April 29, 2023 at the 1STBank Center in Broomfield, Colorado. The card airs live on PPV via Fite.tv. Full results from the event can be found below.

BKFC 41 Results

Main Card

Mike Perry def. Luke Rockhold by TKO (retirement), Round 2, 1:15
Eddie Alvarez def. Chad Mendes by split decision (47-46, 46-47, 47-46)
Christine Ferea (c) def. Bec Rawlings by TKO (doctor’s stoppage), Round 2, 3:00 — for the BKFC women’s flyweight championship
Ben Rothwell def. Josh Copeland by TKO (corner stoppage), Round 3, 3:00
Chris Camozzi def. Daniel Spohn by KO, Round 1, 2:00
Brandon Girtz def. Christian Torres by KO, Round 1, 1:10
James Brown def. Mike Alvarado by TKO (doctor’s stoppage), Round 2, 3:00
Gabrielle Roman vs. Khortni Kamyron ruled a majority draw (48-46, 47-47, 47-47)

Preliminary Card

Marcus Edwards def. Jay Jackson by KO, Round 1, 3:00
Dillon Winemiller def. Matthew Maestas by KO, Round 1, 0:07
Mitch Seybold def. Jack Willoughby by TKO (corner stoppage), Round 1, 1:23

The post BKFC 41: Rockhold vs. Perry Full Results appeared first on Cageside Press.

“Big” Ben Rothwell had been set to face Josh Watson at the event at the 1stBank Center in Denver, CO on April 29. With injury forcing Watson, who knocked out Greg Hardy this past February, out of the event, UFC and PFL vet Josh Copeland is stepping in to take his place.

Promotion officials recently announced the match-up on social media.

Rothwell (39-14 MMA, 1-0 BKB), a former UFC talent himself, made his BKFC debut last October, absolutely starching Bobo O’Bannon with a 19-second KO. The 41-year old Kenosha, Wisconsin native finished up his career inside the octagon with a loss to Marcos Rogerio de Lima in November of 2021, later asking for his release despite being 3-2 over his last five fights.

A fan-favorite heavyweight, Rothwell, who competed for the IFL and Afflication, competed for the UFC for over a decade, debuting with the company in 2009.

Copeland (18-7-1, 1-0) also made his bare-knuckle debut for BKFC in October of last year, earning a third-round knockout against Levi Costa. In 2018, Copeland, who fought twice for the UFC in the mid-2010s, went to the heavyweight final in the PFL, losing the championship fight against Philip Lins.

BKFC 41 will feature the promotional debuts of recent free agent signings Luke Rockhold and Eddie Alvarez, in addition to women’s flyweight champ Christine Ferea putting her title on the line against the “Queen of Bare-Knuckle” Bec Rawlings. The card currently breaks down as follows:

• Mike Perry vs. Luke Rockhold
• Chad Mendes vs. Eddie Alvarez
• Christine Ferea (c) vs. Bec Rawlings — For the BKFC Women’s Flyweight Championship
• Ben Rothwell vs. Josh Copeland

The post Ben Rothwell Gets New Opponent for BKFC 41, Faces UFC, PFL Vet Josh Copeland appeared first on Cageside Press.

Former UFC, and now former PFL heavyweight Josh Copeland has pleaded guilty to assault charges following a domestic violence incident earlier this year. The fighter, who made it to the final of the PFL’s inaugural season before losing to Philipe Lines (and losing out on a million bucks in the process), had been arrested after his wife alleged he punched her following an argument. Copeland was subsequently charged with second-degree assault, obstruction (of telephone), domestic violence, and child abuse counts — the latter because the couple’s young son witnessed the incident.

Per an initial report by TMZ, Copeland cut a plea deal, appearing in court Tuesday. The deal, it turns out, will see him avoid jail time so long as he stays out of trouble during a two year probation period. After pleading guilty to second degree assault (a felony) and third degree assault (a misdemeanor), the additional counts were dropped. If Copeland successfully makes it to 2021 without further incident, the charges will be expunged from his record, per additional reporting by MMA Junkie.

Copeland (16-8) will be allowed to travel for work, which should keep his MMA career intact. However, it won’t be with the PFL. After suspending Copeland after the initial incident, the promotion has released him. PFL Director of Communication Greg Savage told MMA Junkie that Copeland had been “released from his contract and is no longer associated with the PFL.”

The writing was already on the wall, as the league’s heavyweight bracket was already set, and the season underway.

The post Josh Copeland Pleads Guilty to Assault Charges Stemming From Domestic Dispute, Released by PFL appeared first on Cageside Press.

PFL heavyweight Josh Copeland has been arrested following an alleged domestic assault. On Monday, TMZ was first to report that Copeland had been picked up by police after his wife alleged he had punched her in the face following a domestic dispute.

According to a police report obtained by the tabloid, Copeland’s wife had “an obvious bruise on her left eye, a cut and was bleeding. There was blood down the front of her face and neck.” She told police that during an argument, the two had wound up pushing one another, which led to Copeland striking her, then taking possession of her cell phone in an attempt to prevent her from calling the police. Police later found the cell phone on Copeland’s person.

The former UFC heavyweight now faces charges of second-degree assault, obstruction and child abuse, the latter charge a result of the incident happening in front of the couple’s child.

In a statement to MMA Fighting, PFL officials said that “the PFL has zero tolerance for matters involving domestic violence. Per our company policy, following his arrest, Josh Copeland has been suspended indefinitely.”

The post Heavyweight Josh Copeland Arrested Following Alleged Domestic Assault, Suspended by PFL appeared first on Cageside Press.

Philipe Lins stopped all three opponents he faced in 2018 in PFL. The Brazilian knocked out two opponents in the second round, and scored a first-round submission victory on his way to the finals.

The heavyweights threw some bombs right out of the gate, with Lins getting the better of the exchanges. Copeland was looking for a big left hand that couldn’t quite find the target as Lins landed two-punch combinations. Lins continued to piece up Copeland on the feet. Lins had a clear speed advantage, as him being a former light heavyweight showed. Lins unloaded a three-punch combination on a shielded Copeland as the round expired.

Copeland landed a right hand early, but got caught with a left hand on the way in. Lins followed up but Copeland stopped him in his tracks with a right hand. The fighters clinched up and engaged in some dirty boxing followed by an excellent combination by Lins on the exit. Lins started taking over midway through the second round, landing punches at will. Copeland was dropped with 15 seconds left, which was not enough time for Lins to finish the fight.

Lins was landing uncontested shots to start the third round, but Copeland kept coming forward. Copeland’s hands were pinned to his side and was blocking punches with his face. Lins continued to pour it on, landing knees in the clinch as well. Lins landed combination after combination as Copeland was simply not defending. The round ended in a clinch against the cage.

Lins came out in the fourth round with a finish on his mind. Clinching up with Copeland quickly and landing a barrage of knees to the chin to get the referee to step in.

Philipe Lins def. Josh Copeland by TKO (Knees) in Round 4 (0:30)

The post PFL 11 Results: Philipe Lins Crushes Josh Copeland in One-Sided Win appeared first on Cageside Press.

New York, NY — Heavyweight Josh Copeland did not have an easy path to the championship round of the Professional Fighters League’s inaugural season this year. Jack May, Shawn Jordan, Francimar Barroso, Alex Nicholson. As much of a murderer’s row as any PFL athlete has faced this season. In a way it’s par for the course: Copeland has fought some of the top names available since leaving the UFC, and lost only to undefeated former Bellator champ Vitaly Minakov, Blagoy Ivanov, the former WSOF champ now plying his trade in the UFC, and May, an ex-UFC and Bellator heavyweight. Yet here he is, heading into PFL 11 with a lot of money, and a world title, on the line.

It’s not all about the reward for ‘Cuddly Bear,’ however, as Copeland explained over the weekend. “Money is one thing, but I’m smart enough to realize life’s not about money, it’s not about toys. Nothing makes you happy, at least nothing makes me happy like trying to make a difference.” Copeland pointed to good friend Justin Wren, who has launched an impressive charity effort to get clean drinking water for the Pygmy people, as an inspiration.

He also credits Wren with helping him grow as a fighter. Copeland, growing up, didn’t have a lot of options when it came to training. “Growing up in Arkansas, small town Arkansas too you know, I didn’t have a lot of opportunities for real athletics,” he explained. “You basically hear of a guy that’s teaching Taekwondo, you go in there, small town, you don’t know anything. Then you come to find out later ‘oh jeez, that guy didn’t even know what he was talking about’ when you get up to see what real mixed martial arts or sports are. Real fighting. Man, I’ve had to grow and evolve for sure.”

Enter Justin Wren. Copeland started doing jiu-jitsu in 2005 with Wren, and “we just continue to grow. He’s worked with me so much through the years and just taken me along with him on his path. We were main training partners and best friends, doing all that.” When Wren moved camps, Copeland went with him. “After he got off the show, The Ultimate Fighter,” Copeland recalled, “he took me up to Colorado with him, same thing, roommates.” It’s because of Wren that “Trevor Wittman and those guys at Grudge allowed me on the pro team. I didn’t have to start out just doing all the small amateur classes. It really forced me to grow. Just to be able to work out, train with studs at Grudge back in the day.”

Copeland sees even more growth over the past two years, where he has really worked to shore up his wrestling game. A lot has changed in that time. Just as a lot has changed in the sport overall. Copeland now has an opportunity to make a comfortable living from MMA, even if he’s not a money-first guy. What a step up from his previous big promotion, the UFC.

“To me, especially with the UFC, what a joke they’ve become,” said Copeland. “Anyone who knows me, I never want to be disrespectful. I’m thankful and blessed for the opportunity that they gave me back in the day. But to sit back and watch my buddy Curtis Blaydes, number nine in the world fight number five Mark Hunt, and they’re paying him 26 and 26 [$26,000/$26,000]. I just sit there and I laugh.”

The way Copeland sees it, UFC fighters, even top ones, are grossly under-compensated. “You’re a top ten fighter in the world fighting another top ten fighter in the world and you’re only guaranteed twenty-six grand?” Copeland questioned, incredulously. “And that doesn’t count thirty percent out to coaches and management. That doesn’t count the taxes. Then you divide that by a three month training camp. A top ten fighter in the world making three, four grand a month. How do you afford to keep up with your body? How do you afford food, nutrition, chiropractors, everything? It’s a slap in the face, to me.”

In comparison, “then being able to be part of this, where it’s not about your name, it’s not about your record, it’s not about anything.” Night and day, it sounds like. Copeland explained that “it’s ‘hey, if you’re the better fighter, you win, you move on. If you don’t, better luck next year.’ I don’t have to have the biggest name out there to go out and make some real money.”

Of course, with a win, Copeland’s name could be at an all-time high. “Hopefully with a knockout” is how he’s looking to finish. “At the end of the day, we’re entertainers.”

Josh Copeland faces Philipe Lins at PFL 11 on December 31. The fight goes down at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City, airing live on NBC SN and Facebook Water internationally.

The post PFL 11: Josh Copeland Credits Justin Wren for Helping Him Grow as a Fighter, Slams UFC Pay appeared first on Cageside Press.

The PFL Championship for 2018 (or simply PFL 11 if you’re keeping track) goes down New Year’s Eve at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden. That night in New York City, six new champions will be crowned. Six millionaires made, as the winner of each weight class from the inaugural PFL season will have earned a million dollars.

Featherweight to heavyweight features on the card — that means six title fights grace PFL 11. Plus, the return of standout women’s lightweight and Olympic gold medalist Kayla Harrison. Harrison, expected to be a big part of the PFL’s second season, will fight Moriel Charneski at the event. It will be Harrison’s third fight thus far, and she’ll look to continue her perfect record.

The PFL Championship card breaks down as follows:

• Welterweight Final: Ray Cooper III vs. Magomed Magomedkerimov
• Heavyweight Final: Josh Copeland vs. Philipe Lins
• Light Heavyweight Final: Vinny Magalhaes vs. Sean O’Connell
• Lightweight Special Bout: Kayla Harrison vs. Moriel Charneski
• Lightweight Final: Rashid Magomedov vs. Natan Schulte
• Featherweight Final: Lance Palmer vs. Steven Siler
• Middleweight Final: Abus Magomedov vs. Louis Taylor

Check out highlights from Friday’s Face-offs in the gallery below!

The post PFL Championship 2018 Face-Off Gallery appeared first on Cageside Press.

The Professional Fighters League kicked off a weekend absolutely packed with MMA action on Friday night. PFL 8 was the first of three events featuring the league’s post-season, and the featherweights and heavyweights were up first. To move on to the finale on New Year’s Eve, and potentially win one million dollars, fighters would have to win twice in a single night. Josh Copeland, Lance Palmer, Philipe Lins, and Steven Siler did just that on Friday. As a result, the PFL finale will see Copeland vs. Lins at heavyweight, and Palmer vs. Siler at featherweight, the latter of which a rematch from the WSOF.

The night was not without controversy. In their semi-final match-up, Alexandre Almeida landed an illegal upkick on Steven Siler, rendering Siler unable to continue. That means Siler picked up a win via DQ, and moves on to the finale. It’s a bitter pill for Almeida to swallow, as in their first meeting earlier in the season, Almeida suffered a submission loss when the ref mistakenly thought he tapped to a guillotine attempt.

Below, you can check out highlights of the action from PFL 8 courtesy of the Professional Fighters League!

The post PFL 8 Gallery appeared first on Cageside Press.