BKFC partners with RIZIN on co-promoted events, talent exchange, expansion into Japan

BOXING: APR 04 BKFC 41 Press Conference — Photo by Amy Kaplan/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

BKFC is taking bare-knuckle fights to Japan with a new RIZIN partnership that begins in July.

BKFC founder and president David Feldman announced the news Wednesday on The MMA Hour after recently meeting with RIZIN leader Nobuyuki Sakakibara to discuss collaborating. Now a partnership has formed that allows BKFC to begin moving into Japan while RIZIN fighters get the chance to take off the gloves and compete in bare-knuckle bouts.

“Today we get to announce the official partnership with BKFC and RIZIN to produce Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship shows in Japan and all over the southeast Asia region, as well as assist RIZIN with whatever else they need from around the world,” Feldman said.

“We’re really super excited about this partnership and to partner with such a legend like Sakakibara.”

Feldman confirmed the plan starts with bringing over RIZIN fighters to compete in bare-knuckle boxing bouts in BKFC, with the first appearance planned for July 12 at the upcoming card from the Pechanga Resort Casino in Temecula, Calif.

From there, BKFC sends a pair of marquee fights to the RIZIN card scheduled on July 12, including Tai Emery clashing with Charisa Sigala and reigning BKFC flyweight champion John Dodson facing a yet-to-be-named opponent from RIZIN in a bare-knuckle fight.

Dodson actually has an existing contract with RIZIN, having competed for the promotion on several occasions, but this time he’ll be fighting bare-knuckle in Japan.

Sakakibara, renown as the founder of PRIDE FC before creating RIZIN in 2015, praised the chance to work with Feldman and bring a new sport like bare-knuckle fighting to Japan.

“We truly feel the potential of BKFC,” Sakakibara said. “I do believe this is happening all over the world in the combat sports industry, is that everything is kind of being still and all the fans are looking for a new movement. They’re looking for new action. Exactly what’s happening in Japan. Obviously stateside they’re doing Power Slap and all that kind of stuff is starting to take off, but same thing here in Japan, a lot of people are wanting new things. They’re wanting more excitement.

“We do believe that BKFC has everything it takes to deliver that new excitement over here. The Japanese fans, they like it, and more so we do believe that David and his team are extremely professional and we believe they know what they’re doing. It just only made sense for us to partner with them.”

In addition to the co-promoted event with a pair of BKFC fights in RIZIN, Feldman said he expects to eventually take an entire show to Japan. Right now, BKFC is targeting late 2024 or more likely early 2025 for the first full-fledged bare-knuckle fight card in Japan.

Until then, BKFC plans to continue the talent exchange with RIZIN under a co-promoted banner, with all possibilities now available to both organizations under the new partnership.