BKFC President David Feldman talks Wanderlei Silva, Paige VanZant, other signings - previews BKFC 17
Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) President David Feldman previews the promotion's upcoming BKFC 17 card on April 20, what's next for both Britain Hart and Paige VanZant and updates on Frank Mir and Wanderlei Silva both debuting for the promotion.
Feldman spoke to MMA Fighting's Damon Martin prior to the BKFC 17 event at the Boutwell Auditorium and live on the BKTV APP, (9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT) in addition to globally on FITE PPV.
On Wanderlei Silva
[Wanderlei Silva] is going to be fighting,” Feldman said. “He’s been training really, really hard, and that conversation happens tomorrow and then we’re going to give him a list of three different opponents and that’s going to be something great that we want to announce as well.”
On Frank Mir
We came to an agreement with Frank Mir, and he’s represented by First Round [Management] and we have a good relationship with them,” Feldman explained. “They said they had an opportunity to make a whole lot of money fighting on this card so I said, yeah, go ahead. We’re all in this for the same goal to put on great shows and make money and he has an opportunity so I gave it to him.
“We’ll see how the outcome is. Obviously, if he puts up a good fight and he looks good, he’s coming back and if he looks like his career is winding down then his career can wind down.”
On Paige VanZant
“She’s either June 18 or July,” Feldman said about VanZant’s next fight. “We’re working on that right now. We should have that in the next week or so. The girl that she’s going to fight, her manager is going through some personal issues so we haven’t been able to consummate that right now but probably in the next week or so.
“It’s going to be a very, very interesting, intriguing matchup. But I can’t wait to tell you the who the main event is.”
Headlining BKFC-17 is a tremendous heavyweight clash between Dillon ‘Bad Boy’ Cleckler, (2-0, 2 KO’s), of Pensacola, FL and Josh ‘The Hammer’ Burns, (1-0, 1 KO), of Dearborn, MI. Co-featured in the Quarter-Finals of the BKFC 175lb. Tournament, Birmingham fan favorite Marcel ‘Swift’ Stamps, (2-1), faces-off against Mike ‘The Marine’ Richman of Rosemount, MN.
Advance tickets for BKFC-17 priced from $40 to $150 are Now On-Sale at BKFC.com. The Boutwell Auditorium is located at 1930 Reverend Abraham Woods Jr. Boulevard, Birmingham, AL 35203. Doors will open on the night of the event at 6:00 p.m. CT with the first bell at 7:00 p.m. CT.
Fan favorite Dillon Cleckler has quickly impressed since his debut last summer. On July 24, 2020, the Floridian knocked out veteran Frank Tate at BKFC-11 in Oxford, MS. Following up on that tremendous win, in show-stopping fashion at ‘KnuckleMania’, Cleckler brutally knocked out Chris Jensen in the first round.
The heavy-handed Josh Burns of Dearborn, MI made an unforgettable BKFC debut with a blistering second-round knockout of rival Chris Sarro at BKFC-15 in Biloxi, MS on December 11, 2020.
Former Alabama Crimson Tide Linebacker Marcel ‘Swift’ Stamps, (1-1) returns to his natural light-heavyweight weight-class following a valiant challenge against BKFC Heavyweight World Champion Joey Beltran at BKFC-13 on October 10, 2020.
Fighting successfully in numerous, high level MMA organizations and sporting a 2-0 record as a professional boxer, Mike Richman will be making his long awaited BKFC debut as he hits the squared circle against hometown favorite Stamps in the first round of the 175lb. Division Quarter-Final Tournament.