Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship is set to plant its flag in a new market this spring.
The promotion announced it will make its debut in Australia with BKFC Fight Night Australia on Saturday, Apr. 18 at the Townsville Entertainment and Convention Centre in Townsville, Queensland. The event will feature a heavyweight rematch atop the card, as Australia’s Haze “The Huntsman” Hepi faces Poland’s Krzysztof “The Big Man” Wisniewski.
The bout serves as a runback of their first meeting at BKFC 83 on Apr. 26, 2025 in Rome, Italy. That contest ended in controversial fashion when Wisniewski scored a stoppage after the third round due to a severe cut suffered by Hepi, prompting the ringside physician to halt the fight. The abrupt ending left unfinished business between the two heavyweights and now sets the stage for a rematch in front of Australian fans.
Hepi (3-1) enters the bout looking to avenge the lone defeat of his bare-knuckle career. The Gold Coast native quickly made an impression in the BKFC ranks after transitioning from professional boxing, where he compiled a 7-4-1 record. In his most notable BKFC performance, Hepi stopped veteran Steven Banks with a first-round knockout at BKFC 73 in Florence, Italy.
Wisniewski (3-0), who was born in Poland and now resides in Coventry, England, has remained unbeaten since entering the promotion. After defeating Hepi in their first encounter, Wisniewski continued to build momentum with a third-round stoppage of Thai Tettley at BKFC 77 in Birmingham, England.
Also announced for the event is the bare-knuckle debut of former Australian boxing champion Mark “Bam Bam” Flanagan. The Brisbane native compiled a professional boxing record of 24-7 with 17 knockouts and previously challenged WBA cruiserweight champion Denis Lebedev, pushing the titleholder through a competitive 12-round bout. Flanagan’s opponent for the event has not yet been announced.
Promotion founder and president David Feldman expressed excitement about bringing the bare-knuckle promotion to Australia for the first time.
“We’re thrilled to announce our first show in the fighting rich country of Australia,” Feldman said in a statement. “Our team has worked hard to bring a world-class card featuring some of the best bare-knuckle fighters internationally and from Australia for this can’t-miss event.”
Feldman also pointed to the unresolved nature of the Hepi-Wisniewski matchup as a major selling point for the event.
“Haze Hepi and Krzysztof Wisniewski had a sudden and disappointing ending in their exciting first fight and both wanted to run it back, which makes for a tremendous main event for April 18,” he said.
Additional bouts for BKFC Fight Night Australia are expected to be announced in the coming weeks. Ticket information will be available soon through BKFC’s official website.