LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – Former world champions Victor Ortiz and JoJo Diaz made commanding bare knuckle boxing debuts, delivering highlight-worthy performances as BKB debuted to a sold-out crowd at The NOVO at LA Live on Saturday night.
Ortiz, headlining the event, showed his trademark resilience and power to earn a hard-fought five-round unanimous decision victory over Dominic Salcido. The former WBC Welterweight Champion (who captured the title in 2011 with a dominant win over Andre Berto and challenged Floyd Mayweather Jr.) looked sharp in his first bare knuckle outing, proving his warrior spirit remains intact.
Victor Ortiz said: “Glory be to good, he gave me the victory. It was a hard one but I enjoyed it.”
In one of the most electric moments of the night, JoJo Diaz needed just one round to make his statement. The former IBF Super Featherweight World Champion (and WBC Interim Lightweight titleholder) dropped Nate Williams with a devastating bodyshot for a first-round knockout. Coming off a gloved-boxing loss just two weeks earlier, Diaz’s explosive finish reversed momentum and signaled a powerful resurgence in bare knuckle.
Jojo Diaz said: “I loved it. I’m the type of fighter that likes to bang on the inside and give the fans an action packed fight. The fighters I’ve been boxing in the boxing ring have been moving around. In the Trigon it’s all close quarters so you have to bang it. I feel like this is my home.”
LT “Smash” Nelson, the pound-for-pound No. 1 fighter in bare knuckle boxing, put on a dominant clinic. Dropping down in weight, Nelson fought through the loss of two teeth to knock out ranked Super Welterweight Serob Minasyan in the fourth round. The performance keeps his quest alive to become a three-division Police Gazette Diamond Belt world champion.
Veteran Alfredo “El Perro” Angulo rolled back the years with a thrilling comeback. After weathering a tough first round, the former WBO Interim Light Middleweight Champion stopped much younger two-time National Golden Gloves champion Rashad Bowens with a highlight-reel knockout in the second round. The win further proved Angulo’s aggressive, high-pressure style is tailor-made for bare knuckle.
Full Card Results – Main Card:
- Adel Altamimi remained undefeated at 3-0, stopping Eduardo Perez by Doctor’s Stoppage TKO at the end of a war in the fourth round.
- Henry Correles, a former multi-weight MMA champion, thrilled the home crowd in his BKB debut with a Doctor’s Stoppage TKO over Ihor Blazhenko early in the third round.
- Ozzie Alvarez earned his first bare knuckle victory, taking a grueling five-round unanimous decision over Kaine Tomlinson Jr.
- Jesse Sparks stayed perfect at 2-0 with a first-round knockout of Darius Lesane.
TikTok Prelim Card:
- Zion Tomlinson overwhelmed previously undefeated Said Abdulgaziev, forcing a referee stoppage just before the end of the first round.
- Danny Ramirez spoiled JD Burns’ return with a strong BKB debut victory.
- Jorge Martinez scored a first-round knockout over Ryan Venable.
- Jackie Cataline and Alexa Gracias battled to a four-round Split Draw in the opener.
BKB’s sold-out Los Angeles debut delivered non-stop action and proved that boxing’s biggest names are ready to thrive in the raw intensity of bare knuckle boxing.