The Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship is running it back. Arnold ‘Bomaye’ Adams and Leonardo ‘El Zambo’ Perdomo will face off again on September 12 at BKFC 80 in Hollywood, Florida. The two heavyweights first met at BKFC 78 last month, with Perdomo knocking out Adams in the first round. Despite the Cuban-American’s dominance, the bout was not without controversy, and the Conor McGregor-led promotion is now looking for a rematch to settle the score.

Taking to their Instagram account, the promotion announced the big rematch as they shared the footage of the first fight’s finish with the caption, “The ending sparked debate. The rematch will silence it. Adams 🔁 Perdomo – Sept 12!” But while the promotion believes that the fans demand a rematch, is it really the truth?

Some fans believed there was no controversy at all and immediately defended the referee’s judgment. A user observed, “The count starts outside the ring in boxing, and the BKFC ref looked outside and continued the count.” Another joked about Adams’ lack of urgency, adding, “Dude was lying down, rolling, and kneeling like he was on a 15-minute break 😂.”

Others explained the timing, with one fan commenting, “Went down around 1:02. The ref called it at 52. Not controversial, dude lost,” while another simply commented, “Man, that boy was down for a good 12 seconds.” However, the real debate erupted after the rematch was announced. Many felt it was unnecessary considering how definitive Perdomo’s victory was.

One fan remarked, “A rematch for what?!?? 😂😂😂😂😂 For the same thing to happen?” Another described it as “The rematch nobody wanted 😂.” Others mirrored the sentiment, saying, “Not controversial at all; he lost and will lose again.” The general view in this group is that ‘Bomaye’ had his shot, and Perdomo’s power will most likely result in the same outcome twice.

Still, not everyone was pleased with how the fight was handled, and some fans vented their displeasure at the referee. “It seems like the referee didn’t even count to 10 and already ended the fight,” one argued. Another mocked the stoppage with, “The ref be like: ‘9, 10’ 🙌,” and someone else added, “The ref can’t pick up the count at 9 WTF 😂😂😂.” For this group, the issue wasn’t Adams’ performance, but what they saw as a “bogus” count.

Adams is coming off two consecutive losses, but Perdomo is undefeated at 8-0 with eight first-round knockouts, so the rematch on September 12 will be a definitive spectacle    . For some fans, it’s an opportunity to silence rumors of a quick count and erase any asterisks from Perdomo’s record. Others see it as an unwelcome fight that will only serve to confirm Perdomo’s dominance.

Whatever the case, BKFC 80 promises to provide answers when Adams and Perdomo return to the ring. However, it is worth noting that this isn’t the only big-money fight on the card, as a former UFC title challenger is also getting his first fight under the BKFC banner.

Yoel Romero gets set for his bare-knuckle debut at BKFC 80

While Perdomo and Adams headline the show, another major storyline is Yoel Romero’s long-awaited debut in the Conor McGregor-led promotion. At 48, the Cuban veteran has already tested himself in a variety of promotions since leaving the UFC, but bare-knuckle feels like a natural next. His emergence is both exciting and concerning, as few fighters in combat sports history have combined such explosiveness and knockout power.

BKFC founder David Feldman stated that several heavyweights declined a fight with Romero earlier this year, and their hesitancy is understandable. Even at his age, Romero remains a threatening presence, with the kind of unpredictability that makes him hard to prepare for. His move to BKFC has already changed the landscape, and fans are keen to see if he can repeat his previous success without gloves.

On September 12, he will face Theo Doukas, a newbie with four professional MMA bouts under his belt. Doukas, who has a 2-2 record, is a huge underdog, but bare-knuckle fights often favor the bold. He may lack Romero’s expertise, but a single clean shot can change everything, and BKFC thrives on those kinds of moments. So, are you excited for the fight? Will you be watching the event? Let us know in the comments.