Since its launch in 2018, Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) has experienced significant growth and legalization across the United States and globally, largely due to the establishment of unified rules for bare-knuckle fighting, which have facilitated the sport’s acceptance by major athletic commissions and led to increased education on officiating and judging, drawing parallels to the early development of MMA.
When BKFC kicked off in 2018, they faced limited venues. State athletic commissions hadn’t even considered bare-knuckle fights yet.
Fast forward seven years: bare-knuckle fighting is now sanctioned by most major U.S. commissions and many countries worldwide. BKFC’s rise mirrors the UFC’s trajectory after unified rules led to MMA legalization post-ban.
Veteran commentator Sean Wheelock played a key role in drafting these unified bare-knuckle rules. While initially overlooked, these rules have been pivotal in expanding the sport globally.
“Two years ago at the annual convention [for the Association of Boxing Commissions and Combative Sports], August of 2023 in Las Vegas, the first-ever unified rules of bare-knuckle were passed,” Wheelock shared with MMA Fighting. “I was honored to have been placed on that committee to help with those rules. That was the game-changer in this sport.”
Unified rules brought states like California and Pennsylvania into the fold. Even smaller commissions, like Kansas, took a chance, keeping it legal and safe.
With these rules ratified, BKFC could book events like KnuckleMania V in Philadelphia. The sport’s growth is undeniable.
Post-ratification, Wheelock began educating referees and judges on scoring and officiating nuances. Utah’s first show saw him helping their commissioner via Zoom.
California soon joined in, requesting his expertise too. This led to a seminar Wheelock organized on January 11-12 to further spread knowledge.
“I was hoping we’d have 40 people,” Wheelock said. “We sold out on the judges with 120 [people] and as you and I are speaking, I have four spots left for referees.”
Even fighters are signing up for insights into what judges look for during bouts. Bare-knuckle fighting mixes elements from both MMA and boxing, leading to misconceptions.
One major rule change involves using the clinch as a weapon. Unlike boxing, where clinches get broken up quickly, bare-knuckle allows more freedom.
Takedowns aren’t part of bare-knuckle fighting, but refs had to adapt their approach when working events for organizations like BKFC.
“There’s a misconception out there that there’s a time [allowed] in the clinch,” Wheelock clarified. “A three-second rule, a five-second rule. Absolutely not. It’s an active clinch.”
Scoring also differs from MMA; knockdowns follow a boxing-like strategy but require adaptation due to frequent knockdowns.
“The decision was made with the unified rules, every time a fighter takes a legal punch to a legal target and something other than the soles of his or her shoes touches the canvas… you count that as a knockdown,” Wheelock explained.
There are lots of knockdowns but fewer concussions. Fighters often fall from odd punches—not necessarily heavy blows.
Wheelock recounted a BKFC fight where both fighters scored two knockdowns each in one round—unheard of in boxing.
“So as a judge what do you do with that? You can be somebody who’s done 100 world title fights in boxing,” he said. “I guarantee you’ve never seen two knockdowns apiece [in one round].”
Cuts and bleeding are common misconceptions too; bleeding doesn’t equal damage in judging criteria for bare-knuckle fights.
“You don’t get extra credit because somebody bleeds,” Wheelock noted. Judges must focus on impactful punches rather than blood alone.
A study by the Association of Ringside Physicians found bare-knuckle safer concerning concussions compared to MMA or boxing—though cuts were more prevalent.
“About 35 percent of the fighters get cuts,” Wheelock stated, emphasizing lower concussion rates compared to pro MMA or boxing.
Wheelock hopes his seminars will foster greater understanding of bare-knuckle fighting’s nuances, aiding future growth.
“Bare-knuckle… is running a parallel track to the UFC… 20 or 30 years earlier,” he remarked. From skepticism to mainstream acceptance—bare-knuckle is following its path like MMA once did.