DF: It is the growth of the sport. Thats been the bulk of his life since then. I have a core three or four people that have worked with me since the beginning. David Feldman (brother) Damon Richard Feldman (born October 5, 1975) is an American businessman, boxing promoter, producer, and author. . David feldman bkfc net worth - Thug Life Meme We market the way we want to market, we use some fighters from mixed martial arts and from boxing. Also I think its more adaptable to the common person than boxing or MMA. STORY CONTINUES BELOW. Its a different presentation to what I was presenting without any experience under my belt. The fight lasted 15 rounds before Feldman emerged victorious, solidifying himself as one of the highest earners in bare knuckle boxing history. According to the plaintiff, Edward Stewart, he and Feldman began discussing the possibility of holding bare knuckle events back in 2012. FELDMAN, 49, GREW up the son of a boxing trainer. It was certainly a gamble at the time considering the kind of resistance mixed martial arts faced for years after being banned in numerous states in the U.S. not to mention countries around the world. Then boom, he would crack it. Your voluntary contribution supports our efforts to deliver content that engages and helps strengthen the Jewish community in the Philadelphia area. BKFC president David Feldman reveals why Luke Rockhold couldn't continue in BKFC 41 main . I feel closer to those that lost their livelihoods. . Its also providing fighters with another outlet after their mixed martial arts and boxing career to still compete in a combat sport thats arguably safer and more exciting than anything else currently out there. I always thought this was going to happen, but I thought it would take 5 to 7 years to get where we are at now. David feldman bkfc net worth is estimated to be around $500K. So I said lets do a live event where we can have fans. We get the local fans and local community involved. Feldman is excited by the possibilities Lobov has an MMA background, while Malignaggi is a boxer but hes just as excited to further cement bare knuckles place in American combat sport. He has a younger brother, David Feldman, who is the founder of Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship. Everyone is doing tremendous and it seems to be working out., David Feldman: It was really just forward thinking. Alves was stripped of the title in June 2022 after he and the organization were not able to reach agreement on new contract. Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. Sporting News: How would you characterize 2019 for the company? Mike Richman at KnuckleMania 3 on February 17, 2023. In addition to being praised for his work with the bare-knuckle promotion, hes been criticized for threatening to give half a fighter's purse to an opponent at BKFC 5 after declaring that the fighter "wanted to run" and stating, This is how we do it at Bare Knuckle, you fight or you dont get paid. Feldman would later clarify that the fighter in question, Rusty Crowder, was paid his full purse and characterize his comments as a "knee jerk reaction.". that is what is helping to open up these doors that have been shut for so long., David Feldman: I think its just staying the course really. Its action packed, fast paced excitement. I think we can certainly open up a new fanbase. This is a voluntary contribution. With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best knockouts from April 2023. Taylor Starling at BKFC 28 on August 27, 2022, 1. def. Stewart subsequently purportedly received $26,500 worth of payments from Feldman, "allegedly for a return on Stewart's ownership of 40% of BKFC." He also claims to have been provided a profit and . Unfortunately, Johnny Bedford got injured and had to pull out and Reggie Barnett stepped up and ironically he had some words with Dat Nguyen at his last fight, Feldman revealed. Feldman, the son of legendary boxing trainer and promoter Marty Feldman, claimed he was motivated to start the school by his own combat sports experiences, in which he saw countless fighters waste their money without putting themselves in a position to succeed in the future. He continued to explain how the acquisition by Triller will not change how BKFC events are currently promoted, nor cause a change in broadcasting plans. This is a BETA experience. The former four-time NBA champion previously marveled at bare knuckle athletes, and called BKFC "the future of fighting" after he watched from ringside the combat sport firm's KnuckleMania event in February.. Feldman said last month that he was talking to O . You may opt-out by. David Feldman BKFC - Facebook So we'll go from anywhere, but they have to be able to want to fight. or thinks they have it. The Monday press conference featuring Paul Malignaggi and Artem Lobov, touting their June 22 scrap in Florida on a Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship card the . Joe Riggs at BKFC 24 on April 30, 2022 The lightweights have engaged in a fiery war of words after an altercation erupted as a BKFC press conference earlier this year and Feldman believes thats going to translate into a crowd-pleasing battle on Friday night. Until I can change their lives and change my life at the same time, leave money for the next generation, thats when I know it is time to go. It's not yet been two full years since bare-knuckle fighting made its U.S. revival at Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) 1 in Cheyenne, WY. newsletter, Israel Adesanya Walkouts to Knockouts T-Shirt, Luke Rockhold reacts to BKFC 41 loss: Im not done. that was the big question. Founder and president of Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship David Feldman said in an interview with Chris Van Vliet that he was recently offered a generous amount of money to sell the promotion . Bare Knuckle Fighting Championships' David Feldman is introducing the SN: Did the success of not just that event but the entire year surprise you? So I think that it could fit in to todays society and they love it. Interview with BKFC Founder and president David Feldman - Miami Herald But I would love to be continually involved with it in some way, shape or form. Did Mike Tyson want to get hit with a bare knuckle at his age? But hes always loved fighting, from the inherent narratives to the way it can change peoples lives to the science of boxing, as he put it. From there things have just started to explode. So what does he like about it? On July 24, 2020 it was announced that starting on August, DAZN will be streaming BKFC events. The elder Feldman was a middleweight boxer who went on to train popular Philadelphia fighters, including Prince Charles Williams, who held the IBF light-heavyweight belt from 1987 to 1993. Tom Shoaff at BKFC 34 on December 3, 2022, 1. def. Which brings us to bare-knuckle fighting. It was a year that kind of turned the corner for us. I want to be able to do those things and I cant right now, they understand why. DF: I think kickboxing could be one,but not jiu jitsu. I think they went in there as more of a show. Its got that little bit of brutality to it. Please enter a valid email and try again. He didnt expect to like promoting, and he still doesnt like promoting qua promoting. Thats definitely sitting on an island somewhere. BKFC president David Feldman previews KnuckleMania, speaks on - DAZN Can David Feldman Become the New King of Combat Sports? I feel so bad for everyone that lost their life or got seriously injured from this. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. (pic: Twitter) On the under card for Artem Lobov's main event, president David Feldman was unhappy with how a fighter conducted himself during a bout. A new video from BKFC 41 shows the moment when Mike Perry connected with a punch that broke Luke Rockholds tooth and sent it flying into the air. Our team is getting bigger and better and better. And I think that it opened it up peoples eyes where people were like, Wow, this is something.'. According to Stewart, Feldman now holds BKFC events through a different business entity than the original Wyoming events. It is a requirement that each fighter must start each round with their front foot on their scratch line. Twitter Reacts As Francis Ngannou Talks With ONE FC Collapse You know a sport is resonating with fans once the oddsmakers a piece of the action. How To Watch, Who Is Fighting & More! Eighteen months to two years from now, were going to be a major major player in combat sports.. David feldman bkfc net worth. BKFC founder David Feldman: Nate Diaz vs. Mike Perry a fan's dream We have to show them that we really mean business and that we are sustainable. Its the purest form of fighting that there is. That was a tremendous setback for those individuals and I feel really bad., But on that note we had to make something happen. In this day and age of having metrics on demand in real time, Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship has been able to adapt and pivot from the very beginning while assessing data. . I said, Look, I dont want this anymore. His last fight was in 2003. After first receiving approval to hold a sanctioned event in Cheyenne, Wyoming, BKFC held the first state sanctioned bare-knuckle boxing event in the United States since 1889. We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from. On June 24, 2022, Luis Palomino, Lightweight Champion, won the Welterweight Championship and becomes the first double champion in BKFC History. I gave ten years of my life to try and get this thing sanctioned. Right now, we're doing Florida again. Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship Sued For 40% Ownership Stake - Forbes Can Bare Knuckle Fighting Championships become a force in combat sports Feldman had been in the gym since he was young, watching his father train world-class fighters, but he didnt have his first professional fight until he was 23. BKFC is the first promotion to hold an official state-sanctioned and commissioned bare-knuckle boxing event in the United States since 1889. Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship is only days away from its biggest event to date this Saturday with BKFC 41, which is a co-main event headlined by two former UFC . Longtime UFC veteran Nate Diaz is just entering the world of free agency, but it seems suitors are already happily lining up for his services. He was 29. Meet the BKFC president who makes Dana White look like a saint - Extra.ie BKFC is the first promotion to hold an official state-sanctioned and commissioned bare-knuckle boxing event in the United States since 1889. Copyright 2005-2023 PYGOD Network. Jason Knight (left) and Artem Lobov trade punches, Artem Lobov, David Feldman and Jason Knight at the. As the founder and president of Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC), Feldman is making waves in the industry. Yes, other combat sports have the same tools, however, their infrastructure and value proposition is already so established that its hard for them to make dramatic changes to adapt to the consumer. By that time I am sure we are really going to change the minds of a lot of people., Justin Gaethje responds to Michael Chandler: Hes slandering my name. Washington Jewish Week, PHILADELPHIA JEWISH EXPONENT IS HERE FOR YOU. I think if you can give a fan a consistent product, they are going to like what they see and they will continue to be a fan. After deciding to stick to his guns, Feldman is now focused on executing BKFC 19, which is headlined by former UFC strawweights Paige Van Zant and Rachael Ostovich. Imagine I am going into a board of commissioners, ten of them, and I say I want you to sanction bare knuckle fighting, because its safer than boxing and MMA. They are looking at me like what is wrong with this dude? I then say thats my case. I didnt have to explain it, they would get it. It has become the ultimate crossover experience that satisfies all combat enthusiasts. SN: What was the biggest challenge in 2019 that you wereable to learn from and not make the same mistake, sayin 2020? Founded Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) On Wednesday, the founder of the promotion, David Feldman, announced that Triller, a social media company that has expanded into the promotion of boxing and other combat sports, has acquired a majority stake of BKFC. David Feldman: It was a building year. How Much Does Bare Knuckle Boxing Pay? (Everything U Should Know) The matchmaking and regulations were criticised following the news on social media and by UFC president Dana White. It was an auspicious beginning to a career that ended after just five fights (4-1). Stewart subsequently purportedly received $26,500 worth of payments from Feldman, "allegedly for a return on Stewart's ownership of 40% of BKFC." Montgomery Magazine The bare knuckle or the knee? They would all say the knee. Fredericks Child . Your email address will not be published. Why Do Women Prefer Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Over Other Martial Arts? Now, because we were lucky enough to acquire the consulting of Dr Don Muzzi, who is the president of the Association of Ringside Physicians. By. We knew it as we were doing it but now we have data. According to Meltzer: Reports the Paulie Malignaggi vs. Artem Lobov bare knuckle boxing match on June 22 did better numbers than UFC did on many of its pay-per-view shows appear to be greatly exaggerated. The challenge.. This is an incredible thing that we are doing, and the only reason no one has done it before is that doing so requires a significant investment of time and money. Then yes, Malignaggi vs. Lobov really turned a corner for us as far as getting us into the boxing world and the mixed martial arts world and put us in that mainstream category where some people were saying that it was the biggest fight of the summer for 2019. President David Feldman discusses the challenges and the future of BKFC ahead of its second event. . Id always assumed something like this would happen, but I didnt anticipate it taking as long as it has to get to where we are today. Its amazing, Feldman told MMA Fighting ahead of BKFC 14. One of his fathers fighters had dropped out at the last minute, and he volunteered to step in; wish granted, he knocked out his opponent in 90 seconds, he said. How David Feldman And Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship Are - Forbes He has worked for the Jewish Exponent since 2018. Although money wasn't a factor with ONE, this development comes a month after Bare Knuckle FC president David Feldman revealed Ngannou was asking for too much money. Born October 4, 1970, Broomall, Pennsylvania, United States. Pay-per-view wrestling at least once a month. As the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship continues to court free agents to join their roster, promotion officials will have a one-of-a-kind incentive to provide as an incentive to prospective fighters. Felipe Colares, a former UFC fighter, has died. The first legally regulated Bare Knuckle Fighting company in the world! Feldman founded the BKFC in 2018 and in a near two year existence . We are giving the fans something great, the fighters are fighting their asses off. For each BKFC battle, money will be deposited in a pension account, from which they will be able to collect when they reach the age of retirement.. The participants are being paid well and can fight more often due to the favorable format. We just made a big splash that day. And by bringing in some of these bigger names and we're going to have more and bigger names by the end of the year. In September 2022 it was announced by David Feldman that BKFC had acquired the U.K. based Bare Fist Boxing Association (BFBA) forming Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship UK (BKFC UK). The thing about BKFC is that we stay in our own lane. Neither of them has a reverse gear, Feldman said about Alers vs. Palomino. It allows the fighters to put their foot on the gas pedal from the opening bell and really go at it. When Lobov and Knight knuckle up this evening in Biloxi, Mississippi, it will further illustrate how BKFC boss David Feldmans vision continues to soar and how the sport resonates with both mixed martial arts fans and boxing fans. We never thought it was going to get here this fast, but it did. [17], 1. def. MetroKids ONEs Chatri Sityodtong decided not to submit our final offer to Francis Ngannou after meeting. Required fields are marked *. Damon Feldman - Wikipedia Definitely she was every bit as valuable to us as what we paid for her, so it worked for us. In the year that Bare Knuckle Fighting Championships has been doing business, a lot of things have happened - and not all of it unpleasant. Im not taking light of it. BKFC 1, which took place on June 2, 2018, featured the first-ever womens bare-knuckle bout sanctioned by the United States Boxing Federation in contemporary history. 2. def. Are you looking to expand into kickboxing and possibly jiu jitsu? David Feldman is one half of the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championships, the latest fight sport emerging from a Broomall-based headquarters. DN: I thinkreally going into this whole thing, we thought pay-per-view was, you know, Everybody's going watch it on pay-per-view.' Hes had a lot of Fights of the Night. You have entered an incorrect email address! It was ultimately agreed that Stewart and Feldman would own 40% of the business each, with the remaining 20 % going to a third party, with Stewart providing financial backing, Feldman providing sweat equity, and the third party providing a well-known and respected fighting personality, according to the complaint. You know what, Mike Tyson, for all that he has accomplished, he deserves the opportunity to just entertain and get paid for it. The late Sen. John McCain was known for many things his service and subsequent imprisonment in Vietnam, his long career as a legislator, his presidential campaigns and so on. That Poland fight was really cool because what they did initially when they advertised it as BKFC style fighting and I was like holy sh*t thats pretty cool! Then, we got hit in the face like, Wow, people illegally streamed the hell out of pay-per-view, and we had nothing.' Do we do a closed door show? [8] In February, 2019, former UFC light heavyweight title contender Anthony Johnson announced that he will be joining the company in an administrative role. I hatched it and made it happen. Here we are seven months later as Artem Lobov and Jason Knight will meet again tonight for the second time since their historic bare knuckle battle in April. This is not the first time Feldman has made the news with BKFC. Mississippi, and 20 more states have now allowed bare-knuckle fights. Championship 2: A New Era at Mississippi Coast Coliseum on August 25, 2018 in Biloxi, Mississippi. And now, BKFC. Waiting to find the greatest restaurant to celebrate at, as well as the nearest bridge to leap out of [laughs]. The ride has certainly been wild and crazy, but its also been an incredible experience that I could never have imagined when the idea for this project first came to me. Last week, an alleged business partner of BKFC President David Feldman filed a lawsuit in Philadelphia federal court to claim a piece of the action: 40% ownership in BKFC to be exact. He doesnt have that in him. DF: I mean, in all honesty, this is what we envisioned. David Feldman: Looking for the nicest restaurant to celebrate at and looking for the closest bridge to jump off of [laughs]. And why are we acting in this manner? "Throughout this time period, Stewart continued to ask Feldman for a written contract evidencing their agreement and for more information regarding the finances and affairs of their venture," the complaint states. [6] The Bare-Knuckle Boxing Hall of Fame recognized this milestone and awarded the victor of this contest, Bec Rawlings, with the National Police Gazette World Diamond Belt several days after her victory. We are the new kid on the block. David Feldman discusses growth of Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship It was a turning year for us. DF: I mean, everybody wants Nevada. BKFC was founded in 2018, bringing sanctioned bare-knuckle boxing events to the U.S. for the first time since the late 1800s. BKFC boss David Feldman (Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship) 2021 What an awesome time to be alive for a Combat Sports fan. It's hard because every time the bar gets set a little higher. It is the largest bare knuckle boxing promotion company in the world, and has featured notable talents such as Luis Palomino, Elvin Leon Brito, Jim Alers, Artem Lobov, Ricco Rodriguez, Charles Bennett, Kendall Grove, Chris Lytle, Joe Riggs, Chase Sherman, Leonard Garcia, Eric Prindle, Joey Beltran, Bec Rawlings, Shannon Ritch, Reggie Barnett Jr., Bobby Gunn, Jason Knight, Johnny Bedford, Paulie Malignaggi, Rolando Dy, Reza Goodary, Souris Manfredi, Fani Peloumpi, Steve Banks, Sirimongkol Singmanasak, Buakaw Banchamek, Saenchai, Robert Morrow, and Chris Leben. According to Stewart, he invested a total of $250,500 between December 2013 and the first BKFC event on June 2, 2018, with payments ranging in size from $3,500 to $50,000 and some of the money earmarked for a purported BKFC event featuring legendary street fighter and former UFC athlete Kimbo Slice. I cant wait to see how things develop.. It got everybody talking because it was an unbelievable war, and that fight got out, the pictures went viral. Some gloves would be nice, though, BKFC president David Feldman reveals why Luke Rockhold couldnt continue in BKFC 41 main event, Arnold Allen: No moral victory in Max Holloway fight, I got half my pay, I lost my winning streak, I missed out on a title shot. So I then gave the next two and a half years just trying to get this thing going. Its kind of like a baby to me. The event on June 22, which is available on pay-per-view, will feature 10 fights, though with bigger names than in the past. I mean, its truly been an unbelievable experience that I could never have imagined when the idea for this project first came to me. Baltimore Style Because I know what we do right and in order for anyone to catch us, its not going to be easy. In fact just recently Polands KSW promoted a bare-knuckle style main event featuring former UFC heavyweight champion Josh Barnett. NEW YORK MARCH 12th will be my Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship debut against former ufc fighter Jim . They agreed to a 40% stake each of the business and 20% would go to a third party. I have to tell you I stayed up for two nights in a row just thinking do I take the money?. Were doing things we never thought wed be doing with some network TV deals, some syndication deals were going to be doing with different networks around the country. The offer was official, we talked to the team a couple of times. We have a fantastic staff, and they did a fantastic job of coming together and supporting one another during the process. [13] Thornton had been on a five-fight losing streak ahead of the fight. So July 24th 2020 we became the first live sporting event in the country with fans. Youve got nothing but action the entire fight. Nguyen was stripped of the title in June 2021 after he and the organization were not able to reach agreement on new contract. Im not in it for the money. Trillers first Triad Combat event, which pitted teams of MMA fighters against boxers with special rules inside a triangular boxing ring, was headlined by former UFC champion Frank Mir against boxings Kubrat Pulev.