COLUMBIA, South Carolina – Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship returns to South Carolina for the third time this year with BKFC 52 on Friday, October 20 at the Colonial Life Arena in Columbia.
BKFC 52 is headlined by the BKFC bantamweight world title fight between champion Reggie “Educated Hands” Barnett Jr. (9-2) of Norfolk, Virginia and undefeated, top-rated contender Keith “The Rockstar” Richardson (3-0) of nearby Rock Hill, South Carolina. Co-featured at BKFC 52, Tony “Loco” Soto (5-0) and Kevin “Crash” Croom (2-0) will battle in a lightweight bout.
Tickets information for BKFC 52 can be found at BKFC.com.
BKFC 52 will also be broadcast internationally as part of the BKFC+ subscription for $7.99 per month on the BKFC app – The Best Value in Combat Sports – and is sponsored by Bucked Up, Fubo Sports, MIT 45, Only Fans, Crescent Tools and LIONS NOT SHEEP.
“South Carolina has been a fantastic state for BKFC this year, the fans and the fighters from that region truly love bare-knuckle fighting,” said David Feldman, president and founder of BKFC. “Following our first two incredibly successful shows in Greenville and Myrtle Beach, we’ve moved to a much larger venue in Columbia to accommodate this tremendous event.
“Reggie Barnett Jr. has been with BKFC right from the start in June 2018 and has developed into one of our most popular and skilled champions. However, Keith Richardson, fighting so close to his hometown presents the toughest challenge of his career, a very aggressive, powerful fighter who has two stunning first round knockouts in the last four months.
“Our co-feature has two popular, undefeated, all-action fighters, Tony Soto and Kevin Croom both of whom are looking to continue rising in the BKFC rankings. This one will have fireworks from the opening bell with so much at stake in the lightweight division.”
Fighting in his last start at BKFC 39 on March 24, 2023, the No. 3-ranked pound-for-pound Barnett Jr. stopped Frank Alvarez in the third round. A true bare-knuckle technician, Barnett also hold victories over Geane Herrera (BKFC 32), Jarod Grant (BKFC Fight Night Tampa 2), former boxing world champion DeMarcus Corley (BKFC 18), Abdiel Velazquez (BKFC 12), Matt Murphy (BKFC 10), Rusty Crowder (BKFC 5), Clay Burns (BKFC-2) and Travis Thompson (BKFC 1). Barnett’s only losses have come against former BKFC world champion Johnny Bedford.
Former MMA star Richardson impressed quickly in BKFC with a dominant decision over Justin Scoggins at BKFC 35 on January 27, 2023. Following up with two first round knockouts of Cody Jenkins (BKFC 42) and Derek Perez (BKFC 48), Richardson has earned his opportunity to fight for the world title.
A true fan-favorite, Soto, a native of Brooklyn, New York now residing in North Carolina and the No. 4-ranked lightweight, hits the squared circle following an impressive victory over heated arch-rival Tyler Goodjohn at BKFC 42 on May 12, 2023. Soldiering through his first four BKFC fights, Soto holds knockout wins over Wayna Reid (BKFC 35), Joshua Morales (BKFC 28) and Shawn Moffett (BKFC 23). Making his BKFC debut at BKFC 19, Soto defeated Joshua Sikes.
Croom, fighting out of Kansas City, Missouri has turned heads for BKFC fans with two show-stopping knockouts. Making his BKFC debut, the hard-hitting Croom stopped Sean Wilson in the second round at BKFC 33 on November 18, 2022. Most recently he knocked out Chevvy Bridges in the opening stanza at KnuckleMania 3 on February 17, 2023.
Additional fights for BKFC 52 will be announced shortly.
