Abdiel Velazquez: I'm bringing my own style into this bare knuckle thing"
This Saturday night, "The Nightmare" Abdiel Velazquez returns to the squared circle for an amazing fifth time in Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship's still very young, yet continuously growing existence.
The promotion will hold its tenth show on February 15, live from the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention Center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida; and on the night's card, Velazquez will meet rising star Dat Nguyen at 135-pounds.
"He's hungry and everything," Velazquez said of Nguyen. "But my speed, my speed is gonna give me the advantage. I'm gonna get that first hit, pop off, and control the fight."
The two combatants on Saturday night will have shared the ring with a common opponent in Travis Thompson. Both men recently took Thompson to a decision, each having their hand raised in victory.
When I spoke with Thompson about his upcoming BKFC 10 bout against Josh Boudreaux, "The Animal" briefly touched on his experience against Nguyen.
"Dat is the best in my weight class," Thompson said. "I took that fight with just four days notice. I had two days to train, and two days of media, weigh-ins, and then the fight, and I still earned 'Fight of the Night.' It just goes to show what I'm capable of."
That statement from Thompson did not sit well with Velazquez.
"No, I don't agree with that at all," Velazquez said. "Travis can talk all he wants, but I don't agree with that. I felt that Travis should have won his fight against Dat to be honest. If he thinks Dat is the best in the weight class, I'll change his mind on Saturday night. We will see how that goes."
With a win on Saturday night, Velazquez feels he will be next in line for a title shot, stating "I want that fight against Johnny Bedford."
"I'd like to stay fighting with Bare Knuckle FC," Velazquez said.
When asked what he feels is the major attraction to the sport of bare knuckle and why so many famed mixed martial artists and professional boxers are making the crossover, Velazquez was confident in his answer.
"The action," he said. "The intensity. Bare Knuckle is going off. Trash talk, blood, excitement. The fights don't drag on forever. They go quickly. It's giving us more exposure."
When asked for a prediction for Saturday night's contest, confidence continued to flow from the 26-year old fighter from Puerto Rico.
"I want a first round knockout," Velazquez said. "I feel comfortable. I'm evolving. I'm going for that title. I'm bringing my own style into this bare knuckle thing. One minute I'm orthodox, the next I'm southpaw. I'm unpredictable and I'm going to be a problem for a lot of people."
About BKFC 10
A showdown between Cuban sensation Hector "Showeather" Lombard and hard-hitting David Mundell will headline BKFC 10 as Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) hits South Florida with an explosive cruiserweight main attraction taking place Saturday, February 15 live on pay-per-view from the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention Center in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
The co-main event will feature an all-action 155-pound contest between Jim Alers and Kaleb Harris. Also competing on February 15 will be Luis Palomino facing Elvin Britto in a 155-pound bout, as well as Dat Nguyen squaring off against Abdiel Velazquez in a 135-pound fight.
"BKFC 10" will be broadcast across the United States and Canada, exclusively on pay-per-view through MultiVision Media, Inc., on all major television distribution outlets for $29.99. It will also be available to BKFC's international broadcast partners worldwide and via stream to all in-home and out-of-home connected devices through FITE.
Tickets are on sale now at bareknuckle.tv.