Philadelphia, PA (December 17, 2025) David Feldman, Founder and President of Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC), The World’s Fastest Growing Combat Sports Promotion, hosted the KnuckleMania VI Launch Press Conference at the 2300 Arena today for the highly anticipated event set for Saturday, February 7, 2026 at the Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, PA.
On January 25, 2025, BKFC’s KnuckleMania V event set a local, modern day combat sports attendance record of 17,762. Tickets for KnuckleMania VI can be purchased online at BKFC.com.
Headlining KnuckleMania VI, ‘Big’ Ben Rothwell defends his BKFC Heavyweight World Title against former UFC Heavyweight Champion Andrei ‘The Pitbull’ Arlovski. Co-headlining BKFC Fighting Legend and Current Light Heavyweight Champion Lorenzo ‘The Juggernaut’ Hunt battles Cuban MMA Legend Yoel ‘Soldier of God’ Romero in a non-title matchup at a catchweight of 210lbs.
In the feature fight at KnuckleMania VI, arch-rivals clash in a heated rivalry, immediate rematch with #2 Ranked Lightweight Ben ‘The Bomber’ Bonner facing #3 Ranked Tony ‘Loco’ Soto. Their first fight on June 21, 2025 was a Sure-Fire Candidate for Fight of the Year. Top lightweight female fighter’s face-off in a long-awaited rematch with #1 Ranked Jade Masson-Wong battling Crystal ‘The Rugged Beauty’ Pittman.
Local Philly favorites fighting on the KnuckleMania VI undercard include; John Garbarino Jr., Pat Brady, Pat Sullivan, Joey Dawejko and Lex Ludlow.
Below are initial quotes from the press conference;
David Feldman, BKFC Founder and President
“We have a lot of fireworks that we’re going to announce in the next couple weeks. Thank you so much to the fans and thank you so much to the fighters. This is going to be the biggest and best event that we’ve put on in the history of BKFC.”
“This is the baddest, purest combat sport on the face of Planet Earth. People want real, and this is as real as it gets.”
‘Big’ Ben Rothwell
“I’m fighting a guy that has two wins against me on the MMA circuit. This is a fight that I wasn’t sure was going to happen, but here it is, it’s happening. I have some big words to back up, but I sincerely mean what I’ve said. When you come to do bare knuckle, it’s a different animal, and it’s something that I know passionately. I’m going to prove that I’m the best heavyweight in the world.”
Andrei ‘The Pitbull’ Arlovski
“(Expletive) you guys. I’ll prove you wrong, again. Feb. 7 in Philadelphia. Stay healthy and train hard, my friend.”
Lorenzo ‘The Juggernaut’ Hunt
“I’m coming here to get rid of this guy. He’s been spoiled. He’s been taken care of. He’s been playing the ‘paper champ game.’ I’m the real deal, and I’m getting rid of this guy. Let’s go, Philly.”
“He moves pretty good for his age. I like him as a fighter, but he’s not the toughest guy I’ve fought. I’d say Josh Dyer was my toughest fight, and you saw what happened to him. This is a different sport. This is different. You don’t get to grapple and hold on until the ref stops. A lot of the garbage you got taught in MMA, you don’t get to do here. And who better to teach them than me? And where better to teach them than Philly?”
Yoel ‘The Soldier of God’ Romero,
“Thank you BKFC to be here one more time. BKFC is an amazing company. God gave me talent and opportunity, and everything is possible when you believe. God bless everyone.”
Tony ‘Loco’ Soto
“I’m going to (expletive) him up. I’m going to beat the living (expletive) out of him, because this is the first time that I’m fighting with BKFC close to where I’m from, Brooklyn, and we’re going to knock these (expletives) down.”
John ‘Johnny Cannoli’ Garbarino
“I just want to say that I appreciate everybody from the bottom of my heart. I’m going to avenge my guy, Pat Sullivan, and I’m 100-percent now and I’m working my butt off. I’ve had a lot of time to be prepared physically, mentally and spiritually, and I’m going to (expletive) him up.”
Kaine ‘K-9 Tomlinson Jr.,
“First-round KO. He’s going out on a stretcher, just like his homeboy did.”
Pat ‘The Irishman’ Sullivan
“We might steal the show that night. He’s a legend. We’re going to put on a show, and it’s going to go however I want it.”
Patrick ‘The Brick’ Brady
“This (expletive) is going to be fireworks. We’re both 2-0. He’s a big boy. It’s going to be fun. This is a fight that I liked and wanted. My plan is to always push myself and fight the best guys.”
Lex ‘The Grizzly Bear’ Ludlow
“I know this guy needs a good paycheck. Let’s get him off the streets and give him a good paycheck. I’m going to bless Zach Calmus by knocking him out on Feb. 7 in front of everybody, and then I’m going to call Chris Camozzi out again, and we’ll see if he’s man enough to step into the ring with me.”
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‘Big’ Ben Rothwell, (4-0), of Kenosha, WI began his reign of terror in the heavyweight division in his BKFC debut with a show-stopping first round knockout of Bobo O’Bannon on October 1, 2022. At KnuckleMania V, Rothwell stunned the capacity crowd at the Xfinity Mobile Arena with a first-round stoppage of then BKFC Heavyweight World Champion Mick Terrill. Additional stoppage wins for Rothwell have come against Josh Copeland (BKFC-41) and Todd Duffee (KnuckleMania IV).
Click Here for Ben Rothwell – Mick Terrill Fight / BKFC.
Following a highly acclaimed career in the UFC, Andrei ‘The Pitbull’ Arlovski, (1-0), the promotions’ former heavyweight champion, made his impressive BKFC debut with a second-round stoppage of Josh Copeland on June 2, 2025. This year Arlovski has also won two professional boxing matches by stoppage. Fighting in a remarkable sixty MMA battles, Arlovski compiled a record of 34-24,17 KOs, 2 NC, his biggest victory coming against Tim Sylvia at UFC-51 earning the UFC Heavyweight World Title.
Rothwell and Arlovski fought twice in professional MMA with Arlovski winning both contests.
Lorenzo ‘The Juggernaut’ Hunt, (12-2), of Jacksonville, FL. won his third BKFC World Title, recapturing the light-heavyweight title in remarkable fashion against champion Josh Dyer on November 15, 2025. Hunt, who is widely regarded as one of the greatest bare-knuckle fighters of all time, picked himself up off the canvas twice and rallied for the jaw-dropping knockout with just one second remaining in the opening round of his highly anticipated rematch with Dyer. Hunt and Dyer first met at BKFC 17 in 2021, with Hunt winning by technical knockout in the fifth round.
Click Here for Remarkable First Round Stoppage by Lorenzo Hunt vs. Josh Dyer/ BKFC
Additional victories for Hunt in his illustrious BKFC career include Chris Camozzi (cruiserweight title at BKFC-50), Mike Richman (KnuckleMania III), Quentin Henry (BKFC-30), Joe Riggs (BKFC-30) and Hector Lombard (BKFC-22).
Following an acclaimed amateur career which included a Silver Medal in the Men’s Freestyle Wrestling competition at the 2000 Olympics representing his home nation of Cuba, Yoel ‘Soldier of God’ Romero, (1-0), compiled a heralded professional MMA career with a record of 16-7 while becoming a true Superstar in the UFC and Bellator. The popular, fan favorite earned two ‘Performances of the Night’ and two ‘Knockout of the Night’ awards in the UFC.
Romero impressively stopped Theo Doukas in the second round on September 12, 2025 making his BKFC debut in front of a sold-out crowd of supporters at Hard Rock Live in Hollywood, FL.
Ben ‘The Bomber’ Bonner, (4-2), of Middleborough, United Kingdom won a thrilling unanimous decision victory over Brooklyn, New York’s Tony ‘Loco’ Soto, (6-2), on June 21, 2025 in the main event at BKFC-76 in Fort Worth, TX. Despite taking the fight on just eight days’ notice, Bonner burst out of the gate with knockdowns in the first and second rounds, paving the way to the hard-fought victory over Soto (49-44, 47-46, 48-45).
Jade Masson-Wong, (3-2), of Quebec City, Canada is among BKFC’s most popular female fighters known for her aggressive, all-action style along with her striking looks. Her exciting victories in the squared circle have come against Gabrielle Roman and Taylor Starling as well as the first fight against Crystal Pittman on October 9, 2021. Masson-Wong battled BKFC World Champion Christine Ferea for the world title coming up short in a hotly contested clash on September 6, 2024.
Tampa, FL native Crystal Pittman, (3-3), has knocked out two recent challengers; Sydney Smith in the first round at KnuckleMania IV and Toni Tallman in the second round at BKFC-47.
A fight against Claudia Zamora on May 2, 2025 was stopped and declared a no-contest after Zamora struck Pittman when she was grounded.
In undercard action featuring Philly’s toughest bare-knuckle fighters popular local favorite John ‘Johnny Cannoli’ Garbarino Jr., (3-0, faces Kaine ‘K-9’ Tomlinson Jr., (2-2), of Roanoke, VA in the middleweight division. At KnuckleMania V in his BKFC debut, Garbarino Jr. impressed the huge crowd with a first-round knockout and subsequent marriage proposal to his long-time girlfriend.
Welterweight Pat ‘The Irishman’ Sullivan, (1-1), faces battle-tested veteran Felony’ Charles Bennett of Ocala, FL. Undefeated heavyweights ‘toe the line’ as Patrick ‘The Brick’ Brady, (2-0), clashes with Bear ‘The Last Barbarian’ Hill, (2-0). Exciting local heavyweight Lex ‘The Grizzly Bear’ Ludlow (2-0), squares off against BKFC hard-core fighter Zach ‘Shark Attack’ Calmus, (5-4), of Worcester, MA.
Previously announced KnuckleMania VI Golden Ticket Winners, Philadelphia’s Christian Fayne and Matthew Semelsberger of Rockville, Maryland will make their BKFC debuts in the middleweight division. Fayne and Semelsberger were chosen from over sixty fighters who competed at the KnuckleMania VI Tryouts.
Fighting in the lightweight division, Zedekiah ‘King’ Montanez, (0-1), of North Philly rematches Brandon ‘Beastmode’ Meyer, (3-3), of Council Bluffs, IA.
Philadelphia Boxing Legend Joey ‘The Tank’ Dawejko, (0-1), will return at KnuckleMania VI against an opponent to be announced.
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Website: www.BKFC.com
