Jeremy Stephens Stops Eddie Alvarez After 3 in front of Packed Philly BKFC Crowd

PHILADELPHIA —Jeremy Stephens did not care that there was a sold-out crowd of 17,763 at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia to cheer on Eddie Alvarez as Stephens stopped the former MMA world champion in three rounds of their welterweight bout in the headline bout of BKFC Knucklemania 5.

In round three, Stephens dropped Alvarez with a counter right. Later in the round, it was a left that put Alvarez on the deck.. Stephens was bleeding from the nose. After the round, the fight was stopped.

Stephens of Chula Vista, CA is 3-0 with two knockouts. Alvarez of Philadelphia is 1-2.

“Everybody was against me, but I came here to run this (expletive) — let’s go,” the 34-time UFC veteran Stephens told the jam-packed Wells Fargo Center in his post-fight interview. “You cannot stop me. This is resilience. My whole life is dedicated to this.”

The combat sports world exploded when BKFC Partner Conor McGregor entered the squared circle after Stephens’ victory to passionately urge BKFC Founder and President David Feldman to finalize McGregor’s highly anticipated BKFC debut against the undefeated Stephens.

“Let’s set a date. Who’s going to stop me? Nobody,” McGregor shouted in a faceoff with Stephens. “David, let’s make the date!”

One savage right hand is all Ben Rothwell needed to knock Michael Terrill out cold and capture the BKFC Heavyweight title.

Terrill came off the ropes and ate a small left that was quickly followed up by a massive right hand that put Terrill flat on his back and the fight was over at 36 seconds.

Rothwell of Kenosha, WI is 4-0 with four knockouts. Terrill of England is 9-2.

“I’m filled with so many feelings right now that it’s hard to speak, but what I do know is that this crowd is the craziest, most awesome crowd that I’ve ever fought in front of. I’ve been doing this for 25 years, and I’m telling you, your energy was in my right hand and you helped me win this title,” the impassioned 17-time UFC veteran Rothwell told the jam-packed Wells Fargo Center. “It’s incredible to be your BKFC Champion.”

Bec Rawlings dropped, bloodied and battered Taylor Starling over five rounds en-route to a unanimous decision win in their flyweight bout.

Rawlings scored an early knockdown as Starling came rushing in, but got caught and fell to the canvas.

Rawlings of Brisbane, Queensland, AUS won by scores of 50-44 twice and 49-44 and is now 4-3. Starling of Clover, SC is 4-4.

“I’ve fought all around the world on the biggest stages, and this by far beats every one of them. This is (expletive) amazing,” Rawlings told the sold-out Wells Fargo Center, adding, “This is amazing, thank you!”

Pat Brady stopped Zachary Calmus in the opening round of their heavyweight bout.

In the opening seconds, Brady went right after Calmus and dropped him with a hard combination. Brady was all over Calmus and landed what seemed liked thirty punches before the fight was stopped at 53 seconds.

Brady of Philadelphia is 2-0 with two knockouts. Calmus of Gloucester, MA is 5-3.

John Garbarino stopped Apostle Spencer in the opening round of their light heavyweight bout.

Garbarino landed a right hand to the side of the face around the ear and Spencer went down and the fight was stopped at 1:59.

Garbarino of South Philadelphia was making his debut. Spencer of Belen, NM is 0-2.

Kaine Tomlinson Jr. knocked out Pat Sullivan in the opening round of their welterweight bout.

Tomlinson landed a perfect overhand right that sent Sullivan crashing down on the bottom rope and the fight was over at 37 seconds.

Tomlinson of Roanoke, VA is 2-1 with two knockouts. Sullivan of Philadelphia was making his debut.

Steve Banks stopped Joey Dawejko in the third round of their heavyweight bout.

Dawejko had a great first round as he landed some thudding shots and opened up a cut around the right eye of Banks. Dawejko seemed to let it all go in the round as he was visibly tired in rounds two and three. He was dropped by an inside combination in round three. Dawejko had no legs and the bout was stopped at 1:54.

Banks of Sellersberg, IN is 4-2 with four knockouts. Dawejko of Philadelphia was making his debut.

Brandon Meyer stopped Zedekiah Montenez with one left hook in round two of their lightweight bout.

Montanez was boaring in with a combination when Meyer threw a haymaker shot that connected on Montenez chin that sent him down and out at 30 seconds of round two.

Meyer of Nebraska is 3-2 with two knockouts. Montanez of Philadelphia was making his deut.

Travis Thompson stopped Zachary Pannell in the second round of their bantamweight fight.

Seconds into the fight, Pannell dropped Thompson with an overhand right. In round two, Thompson landed a crushing left to the jaw that sent Pannell crashing down face-first and the fight was stopped at 41 seconds.

Thompson of Pottstown, PA is 6-6 with five knockouts. Pannell of Lancaster, PA is 1-3.

Phillip Caracappa defeated Noah Norman via fourth round disqualification in a bantamweight bout.

In round three, Norman was deducted a point for extending his arm. Then he was deducted a point for hitting on the break. In round four, Norman jumped up and headbutted Caracappa and the fight was waved off at 40 seconds.

Both fighters will making their Bareknuckle debuts.

Cody Russell stopped Logan Tucker in round three of their light heavyweight fights of debuters.

In round one, Russell dropped Tucker with a hard right hand. Russell then landed a hard combination on the ropes which prompted a standing eight count as the bloodied Tucker was unsteady. In round two, Russell dropped Tucker again with a flurry that was finished up by a right hand. Russell sent Tucker again in round three as Tucker rushed in and ate a right hand . Russell finished off Tucker by dropping him again with a right and the fight was waved off at 49 seconds.

Itso Babulaidze sored a unanimous decision over Bryan McDowell in a middleweight bout.

In round one, Babulaidze dropped McDowell with a straight left hand. McDowell came and and dropped Babuladize with a hard combination to start the second frame. At the beginning of round three, McDowell dropped Babulaidze again in the middle of a furious exchange. Babulaidze came back and sent McDowell to the deck with a hard left to the body. Babulaidze went down early in round four from a counter right hand. In round five, Babulaidze dropped McDowell with a flurry along the ropes. Babulaidze sealed the fight by dropping McDowell in the final seconds with a left hook.

Babulaidze of Philadelphia via Georgia Republic won by scores of 48-42 twice and 47-43 and is 1-0. McDowell Maysville, KY is 1-1.

Knockout of the Night: Brandon Meyer, Ben Rothwell and Kaine Tomlinson Jr.,

Fight of the Night: Itso Babulaidze vs. Bryan McDowell

Here are some highlights from the post-KnuckleMania V Press Conference from BKFC Founder and President David Feldman.

“This doesn’t happen by myself. I’m the face of this company and I work my (expletive) off, but I’ve got the best team in the world. They live and die for me, and I really take my hat off for them. I love them, and I appreciate them so (expletive) much, man, because we arrived tonight!”

“Every single fighter on this card is getting a bonus tonight. The whole card is getting a bonus. It’s never been done before in combat sports, but everybody on the card is getting a bonus.”

“I don’t have much to say; it was just a truly unbelievable night. I looked around the crowd a hundred times, man. I was telling my wife, I was telling my son, there wasn’t an empty seat in the house. It’s unbelievable. I’m so (expletive) happy!”

On BKFC’s immediate future: “We’re definitely going to Australia, but the things that are coming very soon for us is that we’re going back to Spain, we’re going to Dubai, April 5-6, and we’re going to Italy on April 26, amongst all the rest of the fights we’re doing across the United States, so it’s going to be a busy year for us.”

On Conor McGregor possibly entering the BKFC squared circle: “I was walking out of the arena and Conor tapped me on the shoulder and told me to make sure I tell everybody that he’s fighting Jeremy Stephens for BKFC. I don’t know if it’s happening, but that’s what he told me.”