Billings, Montana – At MetraPark in Billings on Saturday, bareknuckle boxing makes its professional debut in the Treasure State.
Joe Riggs and Melvin Guilliard headline the Bareknuckle Boxing Fighting Championship, which has twelve matches.
This is Montana’s second bareknuckle tournament of the year. In July, Butte held ‘Brawls and Kickstart Days.’ Those battles have nothing to do with BKFC.
Fighters in the BKFC are not allowed to wrap their hands within one inch of their knuckles. Five two-minute rounds make up a fight. If you’re used to traditional boxing or mixed martial arts, bareknuckle fighters suggest paying attention.
“It’s fast. It’s not that slow pace that is go six or 12 rounds, it’s fast. From my experience watching very rarely does a heavyweight fight go past the second round,” said heavyweight fighter Joshua Watson.
Watson will compete for the first time in BKFC on Saturday, after an eight-year break from the sport. Watson used to be an MMA fighter.
In a heavyweight contest, the Maine native will meet Bryant Acheson of Billings. Watson, a fighter with previous combat experience, said he’s excited to see what bareknuckle has to offer in the ring.
“You don’t really know until you do it. I’ve around the block I’ve been punched several times with no gloves in general doing fun activities. It’s all the same it doesn’t hurt while you’re getting it done,” he said.
