Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship Brings First Event to Kansas on Saturday, March 14
Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) will deliver an exciting night of bare knuckle action on Saturday, March 14 headlined by hometown fan favorites entering the ring at INTRUST Bank Arena in Wichita, Kansas and live on pay-per-view.
The main event will see the BKFC debut of Wichita native and 2016 Olympic bronze medalist for the U.S. Nico Hernandez in a flyweight fight, while Wichita native and former Bellator veteran Dave "Caveman" Rickels competes in a 165-pound bout in the co-main event. Plus, the hard-hitting bare knuckle heavyweight contender Sam Shewmaker returns to action in a special attraction.
"We've been working with Commissioner Adam Roorbach to bring BKFC to Kansas, and on March 14 we will make our long-awaited debut," said BKFC founder and President David Feldman. "It's not only exciting to be in this state with a great commission and great fight fans, but we have the two most popular and most decorated fighters in Kansas competing on this card. On March 14, we have the 2016 Olympic boxing bronze medalist Nico Hernandez and former Bellator veteran Dave "Caveman" Rickles. March 14 in Wichita will be an electric night!"
"BKFC 11" will be broadcast across the United States and Canada, exclusively on pay-per-view through MultiVision Media, Inc., on all major television distribution outlets for $29.99. It will also be available to BKFC's international broadcast partners worldwide and via stream to all in-home and out-of-home connected devices through FITE.
Tickets for the live event are on sale this Thursday, January 30 at 10 a.m. CT and can be purchased online at www.selectaseat.com, by phone at 855-733-SEAT (7328) and in-person at the Select-A-Seat Box Office at INTRUST Bank Arena.
The unbeaten 24-year-old from Wichita, Kansas capped off an impressive amateur career at the 2016 Olympic Games when he defeated fighters from Italy, Russia and Ecuador to clinch his light flyweight bronze medal. Hernandez is the first U.S. men's boxing medalist since 2008. Since turning pro in March 2017, Hernandez has compiled a 7-0 record, including four wins by knockout. He is the second Olympian to sign with BKFC, and the first Olympic medalist.
"It's been a goal of mine to fight at INTRUST Bank Arena ever since it was first built," said Hernandez. "I have yet to fight in Wichita. I've fought close by, but not actually in my city, so I'm really excited about this fight. I can't wait to put on a show and bring out the city on March 14. I'm ready to take the gloves off and fight bare knuckle for BKFC!"
A 31-year-old veteran of 23 Bellator bouts, Rickels will make his BKFC debut in front of his hometown fans. Rickels fought twice in 2019, defeating AJ Matthews and losing to Yaroslav Amosov. He won eight of his first nine Bellator fights, is fourth all-time in Bellator wins and challenged for the Bellator lightweight championship in 2013. Overall, he has racked up an impressive 21-6 record in his pro MMA career.
"I built my name in Wichita and I was signed to Bellator off of a performance right here in this city," said Rickels. "The support of the people who live here has helped make me who I am in combat sports. So any chance I get to perform in front of them, I will jump on it."
Fighting out of Gravois Mills, Missouri, Shewmaker has already competed in five BKFC bouts since debuting on BKFC 1 with a highlight-reel knockout of Eric Prindle. After defeating Maurice Jackson, Shewmaker lost a split-decision to Arnold Adams in the first-ever BKFC heavyweight title fight. He bounced back to defeat Joel Parades in February 2019 at BKFC 4, before fighting to a split-draw in another BKFC heavyweight title fight, this time against Chase Sherman at BKFC 5 in April.