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| Credit: BKB |
Press Release: September 10, 2025 By BKB Bareknuckle Boxing - MIAMI, FL, USA – BKB Bare Knuckle Boxing - the world’s largest and oldest bare knuckle fighting promotion - announced today that it returns to South Florida on November 22 at the Charles F. Dodge Center in Pembroke Pines for BKB 48 Brawl in the Pines V, a card stacked with the best pound-for-pound bare knuckle fighters from around the world.
In the main event, undefeated Heavyweight champion Gustavo “The Cuban Assassin” Trujillo will face Bellator MMA and ONE Fighting Championship veteran and former King of the Cage champion Tony “Hulk” Johnson Jr. The 32-year-old Trujillo (Miami, Florida by way of Moron Ciego de Ávila, Cuba) has been unstoppable in the sport, boasting a 7-0 record with seven first-round knockouts, including stoppages over bare knuckle world champions Lorenzo Hunt, Ike Villanueva, and Richie Leak.
In the night’s co-main event, BoxRec’s #1 pound-for-pound bare knuckle fighter in the world LT "Smash" Nelson (Broken Arrow, Oklahoma by way of Petermeritzburg, South Africa) will once again face "The Welsh Wrecking Machine" Barrie Jones (Pontygwaith, Wales) in a rematch of their BYB 30 title fight in which Nelson finished Jones by third-round knockout. Coming into that fight, Jones boasted a perfect 10-0 (9 KOs) record. With the win, Nelson, who was the then-current BYB 2-division champion (Middleweight and Super Middleweight), took home Jones' BYB Police Gazette World Middleweight title, and cemented himself as one the best fighters in all of combat sports. Since that match, Jones has gone on to capture the BKB Light Heavyweight championship against Gregoris Cisneros and is currently ranked the pound-for-pound #5 bare knuckle fighter in the world.
The third title fight on the card will pit BKB Lightweight champion Jarod “Kid Gatti” Grant (Hollywood, Florida) against #1 contender Jon “Untameable” Barnard (Makaha, Hawaii). Grant won the BKB Interim Lightweight championship on May 31 against Jorge Bargallo. Grant has been elevated to full champion after Lightweight champion Julio Tanori was stripped of his title due to inactivity defending it. Barnard defeated BKB Featherweight champion Harold McQueen in a Lightweight eliminator match to solidify his #1 contender status.
In a matchup of top undefeated Super Cruiserweights, 4-0 Yordan Fuentes (Miami, Florida by way of Isla de Juventud, Cuba) will take on 2-0 Julian Fernandez (Tijuana, Mexico).
Also on the card:
Former Bare Knuckle champions, #2 ranked Jarome Hatch (Lehi, Utah) and #3 ranked Ike Villanueva (Houston, Texas) face off in a Bridgerweight showdown. #2 ranked Cruiserweight Yunieski “The Monster” Gonzalez (Miami, Florida by way of Ciego de Avila, Cuba) takes on #5 ranked Zion Tomlinson (Richmond, Virginia).
Jorge Bargallo (Cape Coral, Florida by way of Nuevitas, Camagüey, Cuba) and Ash “Bash” Williams (Swansea, Wales) will face off in a matchup of two of BKB top young international fighters. Bare Knuckle veteran Brandon "The Shredder" Shavers will make his Trigon debut against British boxing star “Dangerous” Dan Catlin (Fleetwood, England). Miami’s Jose “Little Prince” Malespin makes his Trigon debut against Nate “Teddy Bear” Williams (Waterloo, Iowa). In a matchup of undefeated women, Angel “Da Killa” Keihl will face off against Katherine Connor.
Tickets are on-sale now at Ticketmaster or via bkbtickets.com/bkb48. Media credentialing application form is now available at bkbbareknuckle.com/credentials. Card subject to change.
BKB is broadcast live in English in the US on VICE and in Spanish on Telemundo Desportes Ahora, and in the UK and Ireland on TalkSPORT. Visit bkbbareknuckle.com and follow on social @bkbbareknuckle for tickets, information and all ways to watch.
ABOUT BKB BARE KNUCKLE BOXING
In the past two years, BKB (originally BYB) has purchased the UK-based BKB, the world’s oldest professional bare knuckle boxing company, and in doing so merged the organizations to create the largest bare knuckle boxing company in the world in terms of roster, library and distribution; ushered in ethical and legalized gambling to the sport; acquired the rights to the historic and prestigious Police Gazette Diamond Belt which now serves as the Bare Knuckle Boxing World Championship; and brought bare knuckle boxing to lineal television on both sides of the Atlantic, including the recent deal with VICE TV and Telemundo Desportes in the US, and in the UK with TalkSport.
Material And Graphic Courtesy of: BKB Bareknuckle Boxing Used with permission.
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