🏛️Official — BKFC
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Combat Sports
1–2 players
indoor
glove, mouthguard
10 essential rules
Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) is the largest and most established state-sanctioned bare-knuckle boxing promotion in the world. Founded in 2018 by David Feldman, BKFC held its first event in Wyoming under a state-sanctioned regulatory framework — the first legal bare-knuckle promotion ...
Standard 10-count from referee for knockdowns; 3-knockdown rule per round: 3 knockdowns in one round = TKO; KO = total victory; TKO via referee/doctor stoppage = total victory
5 rounds × 2 minutes (60-second rest between rounds); Championship fights: 5 rounds (unchanged) or 7 rounds for some title contests
Punches with closed fist (any portion of hand, given no glove); Elbows: not permitted in BKFC (distinct from full MMA-style bare-knuckle alternatives); No kicks, knees, head-butts, takedowns
No gloves — hands wrapped from approximately 1 inch above the wrist to mid-knuckle with gauze + tape (no padding over knuckles); Hand wrap inspection: commission-certified inspection pre-fight; Mouthguard: mandatory
BKFC Ring (octagonal "Squared Circle"): circular fighting area with 4 sides, smaller than boxing ring (~22 ft diameter); Two parallel lines drawn at center of the ring marking the "Toe-the-Line" starting position; Padded ring floor; turnbuckle padding on corner posts
Two competitors per match; Weight classes (Men, lb): Strawweight (-115), Flyweight (-125), Bantamweight (-135), Featherweight (-145), Lightweight (-155), Welterweight (-165), Middleweight (-175), Light Heavyweight (-185), Cruiserweight (-205), Heavyweight (+205); Weight classes (Women): Atomweigh...
5 rounds × 2 minutes (60-second rest between rounds); Championship fights: 5 rounds (unchanged) or 7 rounds for some title contests; Each round begins with competitors at center, toes on parallel marked lines, hands at shoulder level — referee calls "Knuckle Up"
10-Point Must scoring system (standard boxing-style); 3 judges score independently per round; Draw decisions possible; majority/unanimous/split decision outcomes
Illegal strikes (elbows, kicks, head-butts, back-of-head, throat, spine, eye-poke): point deduction → DQ; Hitting after the bell: point deduction; Holding-and-hitting: referee warning → point deduction
Bare-knuckle striking produces more facial cuts and lacerations than gloved boxing but reportedly fewer concussions (because punches require pulling slightly to protect the puncher's hand). BKFC mandates: comprehensive pre-fight medical (neurologi...
Stand and trade — don't run
The foundational ethos of BKFC is that fighters stand and exchange punches rather than backpedal or stall. Fighters who excessively avoid engagement are booed by crowds and criticized by peers and promoters. BKFC explicitly markets the sport on this 'stand and fight' identity, distinguishing it from gloved boxing.
BKFC's small circular ring is structurally designed to make running difficult, but the cultural expectation goes well beyond what the rules enforce.
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