BKB Bare Knuckle Boxing is heading to Newcastle for the first time, and the promotion is bringing a loaded card with it.
BKB 60 takes place Saturday, Oct. 10, at Utilita Arena Newcastle in Newcastle, England. The event is headlined by a BKB Super Welterweight World Championship clash between reigning champion Rolando “Dy Incredible” Dy and five-time BKB champion Scott “The Mute” McHugh.
Dy (6-1, 5 KOs) enters the fight looking to continue his run atop the division. The Filipino champion will have to do it in hostile territory, though, as McHugh (17-5, 7 KOs) gets the opportunity to challenge for another championship in his home country.
McHugh has already captured BKB gold five times during his bare-knuckle career, making him one of the most experienced fighters Dy has faced. Now, he gets the chance to add another championship to his résumé while attempting to dethrone “Dy Incredible.”
The heavyweight division takes center stage in the co-main event when Britain’s Mark O’Neil meets Poland’s Kamil Sokolowski.
O’Neil (4-4, 4 KOs) has finished every one of his professional bare-knuckle victories, while Sokolowski (3-1, 3 KOs) has done the same. With seven combined wins and seven knockouts between the two heavyweights, this one probably isn’t going to require the judges.
Former Olympian and IBF world champion Joseph “JoJo” Diaz Jr. will also make his second appearance inside the BKB ring.
Diaz made an immediate impact in his bare-knuckle debut at BKB 56, scoring a first-round knockout. The former boxing champion will look to make it two straight when he faces Brian Hyslop in a super lightweight contest.
Diaz (1-0, 1 KO) brings an extensive traditional boxing résumé into the matchup, but Hyslop (2-1, 1 KO) has the bare-knuckle experience advantage. That makes the matchup another test of just how quickly Diaz can make the transition from gloved boxing to the bare-knuckle game.
Another undefeated fighter to watch is Adel “Kyokushin” Altamimi. Altamimi has been perfect through three BKB appearances, finishing all three of his opponents. He puts that 3-0 record on the line against Liam “Swanny” Howell, who enters the super welterweight matchup with a 5-4 record and four knockouts.
The remainder of the main card includes David Winiarski against Geraint Goodridge at super middleweight, Jon Telfer against Mick Kelly at super lightweight, Dec Spelman against Andrea Bicchi at super cruiserweight, and Liam Teruel against Tom Pratt at light heavyweight.
Four additional fights make up the preliminary card. Kieron Harland meets Nathan Conroy at light heavyweight, John Hamilton takes on Florian De La Motte at heavyweight, Rob Barry faces James McCorrie at middleweight, and Logan Morgan squares off with Nick Bass at welterweight.
The BKB 60 preliminary card gets underway at 5:30 p.m. BST (12:30 p.m. ET), with the main card beginning at 7 p.m. BST (2 p.m. ET).
The main card will air in the United States on VICE TV and Telemundo, with TalkSPORT carrying the event in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The preliminary card will stream on BKB’s TikTok channel.
With a world championship on the line, a former boxing world champion continuing his bare-knuckle transition and plenty of knockout power throughout the lineup, BKB isn’t easing its way into Newcastle.
The promotion is arriving with plenty of fireworks.
BKB 60 Bout List
Main Card — 7 p.m. BST (2 p.m. ET)
BKB Super Welterweight World Championship: Rolando Dy (c) vs. Scott McHugh
Heavyweight: Mark O’Neil vs. Kamil Sokolowski
Super Lightweight: Joseph “JoJo” Diaz Jr. vs. Brian Hyslop
Super Welterweight: Adel Altamimi vs. Liam Howell
Super Middleweight: David Winiarski vs. Geraint Goodridge
Super Lightweight: Jon Telfer vs. Mick Kelly
Super Cruiserweight: Dec Spelman vs. Andrea Bicchi
Light Heavyweight: Liam Teruel vs. Tom Pratt
Preliminary Card — 5:30 p.m. BST (12:30 p.m. ET)
Light Heavyweight: Kieron Harland vs. Nathan Conroy
Heavyweight: John Hamilton vs. Florian De La Motte
Middleweight: Rob Barry vs. James McCorrie
Welterweight: Logan Morgan vs. Nick Bass