Conor McGregor & Co. on Track to Beat UFC’s Record in Philadelphia With $25 Million Move

Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship, led by founder and president David Feldman, guarantees raw, unfiltered combat with bloodied fists and battered faces. For those who grew up in the 90s and 00s, bare-knuckle boxing wasn’t seen as an actual sport. It felt more like a gritty, violent concept pulled from history books, depicting Victorian-era brawls or stories about cunning legends.

As time has passed, things have evolved significantly. Since David Feldman founded BKFC nine years ago, the sport has seen tremendous growth in both popularity and commercial success. Feldman is now attempting to break a UFC record with his upcoming event in Philadelphia. Let’s dive into it!

BKFC’s big hopes for its upcoming event on January 25

BKFC is set to host KnuckleMania V on Saturday, January 25, 2025, at Philadelphia’s Wells Fargo Arena. This event marks the promotion’s inaugural hometown show, promising an electrifying night for combat sports enthusiasts. The main event features Philadelphia’s own Eddie “The Underground King” Alvarez facing off against Jeremy Stephens. Alvarez, a former UFC lightweight champion, made a successful BKFC debut with a victory over Chad Mendes in April 2023 and engaged in a memorable bout against Mike Perry in December 2023.

President David Feldman expressed excitement about bringing the event to Philadelphia, highlighting the city’s rich fighting legacy and the significance of hosting such a major event at home. The UFC has hosted three events in Philadelphia in the form of UFC 101, UFC 133, and UFC on ESPN: Barboza vs. Gaethje, and have earned significant revenue. However, Feldman is hoping to break the attendance records of those events and has the backing of the people as well.

While speaking to MMA Fighting on SBN, Feldman said, “You know Philadelphia is a weird town. They love you and they hate you. And you don’t know if they’re gonna have your back or not. And apparently, they have our back because we just opened up four new sections today. Now we are attempting to beat the UFC’s record there. They are a little over 17,000 [total attendance] and we are well on our way to doing that. We’ve only done 22% of our marketing budget so far. And we’re already 80% sold out.” 

Feldman has built a solid professional relationship with UFC CEO Dana White over time. Although BKFC and the UFC operate in distinct areas of combat sports, BKFC’s rise in popularity has certainly caught White’s attention. However, the President has made it clear that he doesn’t want to start any rivalry with the UFC head honcho yet.

David Feldman showers praise for UFC CEO Dana White

BKFC has been making waves in the combat sports scene and appears poised for major expansion. Although still a relatively young promotion, its rapid rise has drawn interest from the UFC. In recent years, fighters such as Eddie Alvarez, Jeremy Stephens, Mike Perry, and Luke Rockhold have made the switch from MMA to BKFC, drawn by the promotion’s intense, no-frills style and new career opportunities. Though the UFC continues to be the top tier of MMA, BKFC has successfully established its unique presence.

BKFC head honcho David Feldman, however, prefers to foster a cooperative relationship with the UFC rather than create competition. In a straightforward interview with Andrew Whitelaw of Essentially Sports, Feldman expressed his admiration for White and the remarkable efforts he’s made to grow MMA into the global powerhouse it is today.

He said, “The whole team there, you know, seems to be cool with us. And we’re as cool with them, and I don’t need any animosity, man. And I don’t need anybody hating on me and anybody trying to, you know, stop us. We’re trying to work with them as much as we can. They have given us some fighters in the past that really helped the promotion. And if we can do the same back to them, you know, we would.”

However, the fans are now focused on the upcoming event of the BKFC. Do you think they can beat UFC’s attendance record in Philly? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.