Former WBC lightweight world champion Dejan Zlaticanin and heavyweight Agron Smakici will make their Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship debuts when BKFC heads to Belgrade, Serbia, on Saturday, Oct. 17.
Zlaticanin will face undefeated BKFC veteran Said-Khusein “Borz” Akhyadov, while Smakici takes on fellow professional boxer István Bernáth.
Zlaticanin brings world championship credentials to bare-knuckle fighting. The Montenegrin captured the vacant WBC lightweight title in 2016 and competed against notable names such as Ricky Burns and Mikey Garcia during his professional boxing career.
His BKFC debut will be no easy introduction.
Akhyadov enters the matchup with a perfect 6-0 BKFC record, giving him a significant experience advantage under the bare-knuckle ruleset. Zlaticanin may own the more decorated traditional boxing résumé, but Akhyadov has already proven himself inside the BKFC squared circle.
Smakici will also make the transition from professional boxing on the Belgrade card. The Croatian heavyweight owns a 21-4 professional record and faced two-time Olympic gold medalist Bakhodir Jalolov earlier this year.
He will meet Hungary’s Bernáth, who carries a 10-2 professional boxing record into the matchup. With both heavyweights bringing extensive boxing experience and finishing power, their BKFC debuts could produce fireworks.
The additions of Zlaticanin and Smakici give BKFC Belgrade two intriguing boxing-to-bare-knuckle crossover fights. Zlaticanin will attempt to translate his world championship pedigree against an established BKFC opponent, while Smakici and Bernáth bring heavyweight power to the squared circle.
Both matchups take place when BKFC arrives in Belgrade on Oct. 17.