Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship returns to one of its most familiar stomping grounds this week, and the promotion is bringing plenty of firepower with it.
On Friday, Sept. 11, BKFC returns to the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Fla., for BKFC 93. The South Florida card is headlined by undefeated heavyweight knockout artist Leonardo “El Zambo” Perdomo, who puts his perfect record on the line against Bear “The Last Barbarian” Hill.
Perdomo has become one of the most terrifying fighters on the entire BKFC roster. The Cuban heavyweight enters Friday night with a perfect 11-0 bare-knuckle record, and there has been absolutely no need for the judges during his run through the promotion. All 11 victories have come by knockout, with only one opponent surviving beyond the opening round.
That makes Hill’s assignment rather simple on paper, but significantly more difficult once the opening bell rings.
Hill enters the contest with a 3-1 BKFC record, and he has finished all three of his victories. The heavy-handed heavyweight represents another dangerous test for Perdomo, but the undefeated Cuban has made a habit of making dangerous opponents look anything but that.
At this point, the question surrounding Perdomo is less about whether he can knock somebody out and more about whether anyone in the heavyweight division can stop him from doing it.
Another knockout Friday night would only strengthen Perdomo’s case for bigger opportunities in the heavyweight division.
The co-main event features one of BKFC’s most dangerous featherweights, Bryan “El Gallo” Duran, as he welcomes longtime combat sports veteran Charles “Felony” Bennett to the Squared Circle.
Duran has compiled an 8-1-1 record under the BKFC banner, with his lone loss coming against Kai Stewart in their 2024 featherweight title fight. Stewart remains atop the division after successfully defending his championship against previously undefeated Harry Gigliotti at BKFC 92 in Boston.
That leaves Duran trying to force his way back into the championship conversation.
A convincing victory over Bennett would certainly help.
Bennett has spent decades competing across mixed martial arts and bare-knuckle fighting, and the unpredictable veteran remains the type of opponent who can turn a fight into chaos in a hurry. However, Duran has established himself as one of BKFC’s most dangerous finishers, making Friday’s co-main event another opportunity for “El Gallo” to remind the promotion why he belongs near the top of the featherweight division.
While Perdomo and Duran occupy the top two spots on the card, perhaps the most intriguing fight of the evening is a rematch between Andrew “Legend” Strode and Gee “The Cutman” Perez.
Strode defeated Perez by second-round TKO when they met at BKFC 78 in 2025 for the vacant interim BKFC flyweight championship. The stoppage came from the ringside physician, leaving at least a little unfinished business between the two.
Now, they run it back.
Strode enters the rematch with a perfect 4-0 BKFC record, while Perez sits at 7-2. More importantly for anyone hoping to see violence Friday night, neither man has made a habit of letting the judges determine his fate. Strode has finished all four of his BKFC victories, while Perez has also yet to go to a decision during his run with the promotion.
This time, however, there is no championship on the line. The rematch takes place at bantamweight, giving both men an opportunity to settle their rivalry without a belt sitting between them.
Another particularly interesting matchup takes place in BKFC’s recently created ironweight division.
Reigning BKFC cruiserweight champion Esteban “Mohawk” Rodriguez moves up to face Stephen “Tomahawk” Townsel in a clash that could immediately have championship implications.
Rodriguez has compiled a 6-1 record in BKFC and now has his sights set on another division. Waiting at the top is ironweight champion Lorenzo Hunt, but Rodriguez will have to get through Townsel before any potential showdown with “The Juggernaut” becomes a serious conversation.
Townsel is certainly not the type of opponent someone simply uses as a stepping stone.
The veteran enters the fight with a 6-5 bare-knuckle record, and his aggressive approach has made him a consistently entertaining presence inside the Squared Circle. Rodriguez may have championship aspirations at ironweight, but Townsel has the power and experience to derail those plans immediately.
The bantamweight division also gets an important matchup when Matt “Rambo” Russo faces undefeated Jancarlos “Baby Tank” Rivera.
Russo enters with a 4-1 record, while Rivera is a perfect 3-0. Rivera has an opportunity to continue building himself into a legitimate contender, while Russo can hand the rising prospect his first loss and improve his own standing in a competitive division.
At flyweight, Chris “Dynamite” Garcia takes on Tyler “Rookie” Randall.
Garcia carries a 6-1 record into the fight and has emerged as one of the more intriguing names in the division. Randall, meanwhile, enters at 4-4. With both men looking to improve their position in the BKFC flyweight hierarchy, there is plenty at stake despite no championship being attached to the matchup.
The remainder of the main card features Murat Kazgan against James Rodriguez at welterweight and Ernesto Suarez against Ronny Hauser at bantamweight.
The free preliminary portion of the event includes Chino Blume against Caleb Avila at ironweight, Adyam Devillafuerte against Miguel Hinojosa at lightweight, and Eduardo Suarez against Jose Davila at featherweight.
BKFC 93 begins Friday, Sept. 11, from the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Fla. The free preliminary card begins at 7 p.m. ET, followed by the main card at 8 p.m. ET. The event streams live through the BKFC App.
BKFC 93 Fight Card
Main Card
Leonardo Perdomo vs. Bear Hill
Bryan Duran vs. Charles Bennett
Gee Perez vs. Andrew Strode
Esteban Rodriguez vs. Stephen Townsel
Matt Russo vs. Jancarlos Rivera
Murat Kazgan vs. James Rodriguez
Ernesto Suarez vs. Ronny Hauser
Chris Garcia vs. Tyler Randall
Free Preliminary Card
Chino Blume vs. Caleb Avila
Adyam Devillafuerte vs. Miguel Hinojosa
Eduardo Suarez vs. Jose Davila