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BKFC has established a foothold in the combat space that finally seems less tenuous than when they first arrived. For those first two years or so, we were all wondering how long they’d last. I don’t see so much of that speculation anymore. Instead, I’ve noticed a definitive ramping up of their production value. I’ve also noticed the more concentrated effort to promote their cards via any outlet they can find. And it’s hard not to notice when they’re signing decent talent regularly.Now that Bloody Elbow is a fully independent site, the best way to support us so that we can continue fearless coverage of combat sports, is to pick up a paid subscription. Paid subscribers help fund other exclusive content like editorials from Karim Zidan, boxing breakdowns and analysis from Eddie Goldman and Jonathan Snowden, as well as financial investigations by John S. Nash.

They’ve enjoyed some measure of success in netting corporate sponsors and cultivated a dedicated following, as well. I don’t know if they’ll be around in ten years, or if they could ever go head-to-head with a UFC PPV and come out the other side whole, but it’s refreshing to see someone else come along and upset the status quo from time-to-time.

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Do I like the $49.99 price tag that BKFC 41 will zing my wallet for? Nope. That said, I understand this is how the sausage gets made and have resigned myself to the fact that I, like so many of you, spend a small fortune on combat sports every year. I doubt that is ever going to change for any of us. Based off my extremely limited, non-peer-reviewed study, I have determined that BKFC 41 has defeated UFC Vegas 72, excelling at social media hustling and utilizing their athletes’ quirky personalities to full benefit. Where they really shined was flooding the timeline with all manner of promotional posts from highlight reel clips to fight clips to interviews. They clearly understand the value of going the extra mile. UFC typically reserves that treatment for their PPV cards. It’s a safe bet that the weekend’s fight cards will all deliver some measure of entertainment to the masses, but for the second time this week, BKFC 41 has topped UFC Vegas 72 in that regard. Not only is their card better, the social media offerings from the promotion and its fighters have also won the week with a combination of unintentionally funny clips, cringeworthy interviews and presser hijinks all mixed together with highlight reels and faceoff videos.In the interest of transparency, this week, I kept the post selection strictly to Twitter. When I plugged in my search queries: UFC Vegas 72 and BKFC 41 respectively, the results pulled up a much wider variety of content from BKFC. Going a little further in, I changed the search queries to the main event stars. Again, the results demonstrated more variety on the BKFC side.

Am I the new leader of the BKFC fan club? No, and further, I do recognize they have issues that need addressing. But for this weekend, where they’ve put in the effort and gone that proverbial extra mile, I’m going to give them their flowers and root for the success of their PPV (which is still overpriced).

We’ve detected that JavaScript is disabled in this browser. Please enable JavaScript or switch to a supported browser to continue using twitter.com. You can see a list of supported browsers in our Help Center.Rowdy Bec Rawlings 23x Signed Personally Worn Used UFC TUF 20 Cast Shirt PSA/DNA If a product is unsigned or non game-used, a hologram will not be included Bec Rawlings memorabilia. memorabilia

To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.“I don’t understand the stigma behind it or why people care,” she said. “It’s almost like when they judge you for being a fighter cause they would never have the balls to do it themselves. I think that’s where a lot of the hate comes from. It’s because they’re actually jealous that you don’t care and you’re willing to take a risk, to get the biscuit. Risk it for the biscuit.We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from. To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy. Please also read our Privacy Notice and Terms of Use, which became effective December 20, 2019.“I took the gamble and had the first fight. No one knew what we were walking in on when I first signed with bare-knuckle. I had no idea what was going to happen with the promotion so I think she needs to remember that I was the first, I was the one that took the gamble. Respect where it’s due, I think. I’m definitely excited to see the changes in the promotion, there’s bigger names, more hype and I’m definitely excited.”

Following in Rawlings’ footsteps, VanZant started a website similar to the OnlyFans format, and she said the money from that venture has paid her more than she’s ever made from fighting.Rawlings was part of the inaugural BKFC card that took place in Cheyenne, Wyoming in what was ultimately the first sanctioned bare-knuckle event held in the United States since 1889.

“Without my OnlyFans right now without being able to fight for two years, I would be homeless. It was worth the risk. It was worth the gamble. I’m never going to sit back and not do things out of fear of what people might think of me. Cause I’ve figured out people are going to hate regardless. They’re going to find a reason to hate if they’re going to hate. I don’t care anymore. I’m going to do me and hope that it pays off.”

As she returns 25 events later, Rawlings is happy she played some small part in bringing attention to the sport when so many naysayers scoffed at BKFC finding success. Add to that, she’s seen the explosion of a women’s division, something she hoped would happen. But even she’s been impressed by what she’s seen with fighters like VanZant, Pearl Gonzalaez and Rachael Ostovich now calling bare-knuckle their home.

Four years later, as she prepares to make her return at BKFC 26, the 33-year-old Australian has seen the bare-knuckle promotion flourish into a player in the combat sports space with events taking place all across the U.S. and internationally. BKFC has stolen headlines from more established boxing and MMA organizations, staging fights like the showdown between Artem Lobov and Pauli Malignaggi as well as signing Paige VanZant after she exited the UFC.“I’m happy I could be a part of that history,” Rawlings said. “It’s only going to get bigger from here. It’s really cool to see the girl’s division really take off. That’s the main attraction. Everyone’s hyped and pumped about our division and that’s really f****** cool to see in combat sports. “I’m not afraid to take risks,” she said. “I think a lot of people were a little bit scared to jump over to OnlyFans out of fear of backlash. Like, ‘Ooh are you doing porn? Are you a porn star?’ They were kind of scared of that, the stigma that OnlyFans had behind it. I pride myself on not giving a f*** what other people think. So I take the gamble and it’s paid off. When Bec Rawlings signed with BKFC in 2018, she was one the first high-profile athletes to take a chance on bare-knuckle at a time when the sport was still seeking legalization in most states, much less gaining any kind of mainstream acceptance.