Since its inception, Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship has always had a public relations uphill climb. By promoting a combat sport centered around bare-knuckle boxing, they were confronted with the same claims of barbarism that the Ultimate Fighting Championship also dealt with in its early years. Like their mixed martial arts counterpart, BKFC has employed different strategies to ward off negative narratives, clean up the image of the sport and grow their brand. Much of it has worked, and their latest strategy is a clever tactic that banks on the brand-building sex appeal of some familiar and pretty faces from the UFC.
The BKFC crossover appeal scheme
As BKFC President David Feldman and his team looked to build their promotions notoriety and reach new fans, they first chose to closely link themselves with the UFC, by bringing in talent that had graced the Octagon on multiple occasions. Combatants like Bec Rawlings, Joey Beltran, Chris Lytle, Kendall Grove, and Jason Knight. And it worked for them. Not only did those talents put in enjoyable performances in their ring, but it pulled some from the MMA audience into the sport of bare-knuckle fighting.
The promotion seemed to hit its stride when they somehow managed to lore former two-division champion and then retired boxer Paulie Malignaggi on to pay-per-view to take on their most popular talent in UFC veteran Artem Lobov. Shifting their strategy to attempting to draw not just from MMA observers, but to those boxing fans a little curious about this new-age taboo ancestor of the sweet science. That strategy also paid dividends in bringing copious amounts of attention from sports media. Maybe it didn’t score them the pay-per-view buys numbers they had hoped for, but it brought a level of attention and relevancy this age-old sport and the fresh-faced brand had never achieved before. Yet, while the promotion continues to add names from MMA (like Thiago Alves and Hector Lombard) and boxing to continue to draw from those deep audiences, over the lat 19 months BKFC has taken up a new strategy. One that seems to aim to reimagine the “face” of bare-knuckle fighting going forward.
Brand building with a ’12 Gauge’
When the organization signed popular UFC alum Paige VanZant to a four-fight deal in August 2020 in was major news in the combat sports realm. Not because BKFC poached an elite talent from MMA like the Professional Fighters League did in December by signing two-time Olympian and boxing star Claressa Shields. PVZ is no slouch as a fighter, but her 8-5 record would undermine any notion of her being a top talent in her division. However, the signing was newsworthy because VanZant is a legitimate star athlete. There are many fighters more gifted than “12 Gauge,” but few of them have the “it” factor appeal that she has. The UFC knew it and it’s why she was promoted so heavily. Dancing with the Stars saw it and that’s why she was a contestant on season 22 of the undying series. And her close to five million followers on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram confirm her popularity is very real.
https://twitter.com/paigevanzant/status/1387849384713412611
Yet, you don’t reach that level of fame by being a pretty face and scoring a few UFC wins. The 27-year-old knows how to market the PVZ brand. BKFC was well aware of that and it’s why she was brought in not just to try her hand at gloveless boxing, but to appear on broadcasts and to be an attractive ambassador for this bloody new brand. She has the gift of gab, can fight, and isn’t too bad on the eyes of a male-dominated combat sports audience. Although her debut loss in February, at BKFC: Knucklemania reportedly earned just 5,000 buys, her name adds new and different relevancy to the brand. The organization must have seen proof of those benefits her brand-building skills can bring because in April, BKFC double and tripled down on the PVZ strategy.
Paige VanZant, Rachel Ostovich, Pearl Gonzalez or Feldman’s Angels
Last month, BKFC made three notable additions to their women’s roster. One was the signing of Russian bare-knuckle and MMA veteran Ekaterina Makarova. However, the other two have a distinct PVZ vibe. Those gloveless newbies to the BKFC family were UFC and Invicta Fighting Championship veterans Pearl Gonzalez and Rachel Ostovich. “The Chi-Town Princess” has competed in MMA for nine years and challenged for the Invicta FC flyweight title two years ago. She has earned her 10-5 record with legit combat talent, but she has expanded her brand over the last few years by using her social media to showcase the other assets she has in her toolbox. Despite having only two losing appearances in the UFC, she has over 300,000 followers on the big three social media platforms. Not too shabby.
https://twitter.com/PearlGonzalez/status/1388553894607872004
Ostovich on the other hand has seen less success in MMA than VanZant and Gonzalez. She lost three of her four appearances in the Octagon (one of those to VanZant) and is 4-6 overall. However, she has maximized her athletic spotlight to the tune of close to 900,000 followers on Facebook and Instagram. Both UFC champions Deiveson Figueiredo and Aljamain Sterling have fewer followers over the big three social platforms. In this era of sports and entertainment followers equal money. Not every fighter can be the best on the planet, but standing out amongst your contemporaries in a world of influencers and follows amounts to legit value beyond wins and losses. Triller and the Paul brother’s success has proven that with millions of PPV buys.
https://twitter.com/MataiSamoa/status/1297930861090754562
Don’t hate, appreciate
There will no doubt be those that shame BKFC for signing talents that have become, arguably, more popular for their social selfies than their fighting talents. However, in a world where branding is as important as ever, and consumers have endless options, just being a good fighter isn’t enough, unfortunately. Yes, that seems harsh to say, and fighting talent in fight sports should be all that matters, but when it comes to drawing fans and cash, promotions look for fighters that can transcend the cage or ring. There is a reason why Paige VanZant has as much value to an organization, if not more, than someone like Michelle Waterson. And that shouldn’t be shamed, nor BKFC for adding them to their roster. This is a business and the editions of VanZant, Gonzalez, and Ostovich are smart business moves. They are three talented fighters that can expand BKFC’s reach while being willing to throw down in a bare-knuckle scrap. They can elevate a sport viewed by some as barbaric, to a place where avid fans of Instagram and TikTok would be interested in bare-knuckle fighting. And the bigger the brand the better the money-making opportunities for all the fighters on the roster. Well played BKFC, well played.
