No gloves necessary. A look at the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship

A look at the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship, which holds its first Canadian show on Saturday at the River Cree Resort and Casino in Enoch, just west of Edmonton:

ORIGINS: BKFC was founded in 2018 by David Feldman, a former boxer whose father ran a gym in Philadelphia. Feldman has since sold a majority stake to Triller, an American video-sharing social networking service, but remains president.

WHERE: BKFC has held more than 75 shows with Canada becoming the sixth country to host an event, joining the United States, Mexico, Thailand, England and Bulgaria. There have been events in 12 U.S. states.

FORMAT: Bouts are contested in a ring with five two-minute rounds. Fighters are permitted to wrap and tape the wrist, thumb, and mid-hand, but no gauze or tape can be within 2.5 centimetres of the knuckles. Punches are the only strike allowed.

ROSTER: BKFC has some 280 fighters under contact with Feldman expecting that number to grow to 450 by the end of the year. There are currently 15 Canadians on the roster, a number he expects to grow to 50-plus going into 2025.

HOW TO WATCH: Cards are shown on the BKFC app, for a monthly subscription. Preliminary fights are also usually streamed on the promotion's YouTube channel. BKFC fights are also available on FuboTV.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 29, 2024.

The Canadian Press