In just some weeks, Naked Knuckle FC will host one of the crucial necessary occasions within the firm’s quick historical past, headlined additionally by one among their greatest fights.
On Aug. 20, Mike Perry and Michael Page will thrown down in a middleweight bout that serves as prime billing of BKFC 27, the promotion’s first occasion in London. This matchup pits a former UFC star in Perry, who signed with BKFC in late 2021, towards a present Bellator title contender in Web page.
That is the primary BKFC-Bellator crossover struggle as MVP remains to be below contract with Bellator however was given permission to partake on this bout that was made out of nowhere.
“It wasn’t one thing that we set out and stated, ‘Let’s do Mike Perry vs. MVP,’” BKFC president David Feldman told MMA Junkie Radio. “It was we had one other primary occasion at Wembley, and that fell via. I truly had the entire card constructed and stated, ‘Man, we don’t have a primary occasion now.’
“I had Mike Perry combating in Florida. So as an alternative of that, I pulled Mike Perry and stated let’s have Mike Perry over right here, and who may we get him towards? And truly David Haye, former boxing world champion, stated, ‘Let me speak to MVP and see if he can do it.’ And I stated, ‘After all, let’s do it, however I don’t assume Bellator would ever permit that.’
“On the time we obtained the primary dialog with Bellator achieved, I believe it was like seven or 10 days, so it actually wasn’t an extended journey. It was very simple, and Mike Kogan made it very simple for us to get this job achieved, so due to Mike.”
Feldman is worked up for the matchup and believes it’s going to do effectively for the corporate given Web page’s reputation in MMA, particularly with the European viewers.
Feldman is open to maintain a working relationship with Bellator, in addition to preserve the doorways open for different promotions. And never simply to convey fighters over into the bare-knuckle boxing world but additionally the opposite method aorund.
“I’m in a spot the place I simply need eyeballs on us,” Feldman stated. “I need individuals speaking about us and seeing it for the primary time, as a result of in the event that they watch it for the primary time, chances are high they’re going to turn out to be a fan of the game.
“With that being stated, I can do an MVP for one struggle and let him return to Bellator, and it doesn’t harm me. It simply helps me. I don’t thoughts it. I simply use any individual for one struggle, or I share them for one struggle, nevertheless you wish to name it, after which they return to a different group.
“In order that’s one thing that we are going to all the time do. And, sure, I believe if one among my fighters may struggle for Bellator or the UFC or one of many massive organizations on the market, and get their followers to begin seeing my guys, after which they comply with them again to bareknuckle, it simply works. However I can see that it doesn’t work for each promotion on this planet.”
