Former UFC standout Artem Lobov and Mississippi native Jason Knight will meet in a rematch of their 2019 Fight of the Year candidate as the main event of Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) action Saturday, November 16 live on pay-per-view from the Mississippi Coast Coliseum in Biloxi, Miss.
“BKFC 9” will be broadcast across the United States and Canada, exclusively on pay-per-view through MultiVision Media, Inc., on all major television distribution outlets for $29.99. It will also be available to BKFC’s international broadcast partners worldwide and via stream to all in-home and out-of-home connected devices through FITE.
Tickets for the live event will go on sale Tuesday, October 15 exclusively at www.bareknuckle.tv.
“The first fight was one of the best fights that I’ve ever watched,” said BKFC founder and president David Feldman. “Lobov and Knight are true gladiators. They exemplify what BKFC is all about and that’s giving the fans what they pay for. I can’t wait to see this rematch, and I think it will be even better than the first one!”
“I promised Jason a rematch, and now it’s time to deliver on my promise,” said Lobov. “May the best man win!”
“I’m super excited to be the main event at BKFC 9,” said Knight. “It means the world to me to have this opportunity again in front of my hometown crowd. They’re my fans and it’s my house. As for the outcome of this fight, one of us is going to sleep! The judges will not be needed in this fight.”
Lobov and Knight first squared off at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum in April in the headlining event of BKFC 5. In a fight that saw both men hit the mat, Lobov won a narrow unanimous decision, separated by just a single point on two judges’ scorecards. Watch the action via the BKFC YouTube Page.
“I thought he was conquered many times,” said Lobov, immediately after the fight. “I dropped him three or four times. He’s a tough, tough kid. He kept coming and coming. That was a great fight.”
“We all know that I didn’t lose that fight,” said Knight, shortly following the loss. “We all know that I got robbed. It’s alright, I’m still going to party tonight.”
Lobov followed up the victory over Knight by defeating rival, and former world champion boxer, Paulie Malignaggi in the BKFC 6 main event. That blockbuster event saw unprecedented build-up to a fight that ended with Lobov defeating Malignaggi by decision. A 32-year-old fighter from Russia, Lobov made his name on season 22 of The Ultimate Fighter as part of Team McGregor, where he worked his way to the finals of the tournament before losing to Ryan Hall. He challenged Cub Swanson in a UFC main event in 2016, after picking up victories over Chris Avila and Alex White. He owns 13 professional MMA wins and has carried that experience into BKFC action. Watch Lobov discuss his favorite fighters via the BKFC YouTube Page.
Representing his hometown of D’lberville, Miss., Knight has a 20-6 professional MMA record since turning pro at just seventeen-years-old. He made his UFC debut in 2015 when he stepped in on just two weeks’ notice to face Tatsuya Kawajiri in The Ultimate Fighter season 22 finale, dropping a unanimous decision. Knight went on to win his next four UFC bouts between July 2016 and May 2017. A fan favorite in the Mississippi combat sports community, the extremely versatile Knight also won a custom rules grappling match in Biloxi in June.
BKFC 9 will be the company’s sixth event of 2019, following the upcoming BKFC 8 fight night on Saturday, October 19 live on pay-per-view and headlined by former UFC stars Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva and Gabriel Gonzaga going toe-to-toe in heavyweight action. Knight will be in attendance at the Florida State Fairgrounds Entertainment Hall in Tampa for BKFC 8 and be interviewed on the pay-per-view telecast.
