Alberto Blas Would Like to Know Who is Next After Defending Title at BKFC 66
Alberto Blas didn’t give the fans much of a glimpse of all he has to offer as the Bare Knuckle Fight Championship bantamweight title holder. And that’s just fine by Blas. What he did demonstrate Friday night at BKFC 66 at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida, was that anyone who wants to take the belt off Blas will need to bring their best effort.
Ryan Reber was viewed as a strong challenger, according to online boxing news. But Reber found out that he would need a little bit more versatility to pick up a victory. Blas punched out the previously undefeated Reber in 56 seconds.
“Who is next?” Blas said after the fight. “Hello, hello, 135ers. I am back!”
Reber was the No. 2 contender in the weight division. Blas hasn’t had many issues in any of his fights so far in BKFC. He is 6-0 in the promotion, with all six of those victories coming by first-round finish.
While this was only Blas’ first title defense, his performance indicated this could be the start of a dominant run. The rest of the fight card also produced many exciting moments. It was a good night for the BKFC, which announced a new partnership with DAZN and also had part-owner and former UFC star Conor McGregor in attendance.
Howard Davis Tells Brown to Get Down
Howard Davis is willing to fight anywhere between 145 and 165 pounds. Davis proved that in the co-main event when he knocked down James “Get Down” Brown three times in the first round. Following the third knockdown, the fight was stopped, and Davis was awarded a TKO victory. While Brown is ranked No. 3 at featherweight (145 pounds), this bout was contested at lightweight (155 pounds).
“I train every single day,” Davis said. “Blood, sweat, and tears. 155, 165, 148 – I’m there. Tell Conor to call me!”
Brown was ranked fourth at featherweight entering the fight. Davis improved to 7-2-1 in the BKFC after picking up the win. He is hoping to get another shot at being in the championship picture soon.
Leonardo Perdomo Grabs Another Victory
Finding solid heavyweight contenders is important for every combat sports promotion. While there are world-class athletes in nearly every weight division, having a strong class of heavyweights can be good for business. Leonardo Perdomo looks like he could be a legit title challenger among the big boys.
Perdomo hasn’t been challenged too much since signing with BKFC. During Perdomo’s first five fights, according to heavyweight boxing news, he has produced five first-round stoppages. It was no surprise that he ran over Steve Banks Friday night.
In the first 44 seconds, Perdomo sent Banks spilling to the canvas twice. Banks fell to 3-2 in his career after the fight was stopped following the second knockdown.
Ibarrola Continues to Protect Zero
Justin Ibarrola didn’t pick up a flashy knockout like many of the fights on this card did. But the latest boxing news online will show that Ibarrola has continued to impress observers every time he steps into the squared circle to compete at BKFC.
When Ibarrola was matched up with another undefeated fighter, Justin Street, in a bantamweight scrap, Ibarrola pushed the pace. He was also the more accurate fighter.
Street, who is 1-1, got a lesson in reinsmanship from the more veteran fighter. Ibarrola has now collected five straight victories and is sitting in the No. 3 spot in the bantamweight rankings.
AJ Rodriguez Finds a New Home
AJ Rodriguez wasn’t sure how his first fight in the BKFC would go. It couldn’t have gone too much better for the debutant. During the first round, Rodriguez lit up Dameko Labon.
While Labon had previous experience in BKFC, it wasn’t enough to keep him from absorbing a lot of punishment. What ended up being the worst part for Labon was that he wore the damage poorly. At the end of the first round, the ringside doctor stepped in to stop the fight due to damage around Laborn’s eye.
Rodriguez picked up two knockdowns during the fight.
Townsel Gets Career Back on Track
Stephen Townsel found a way to get his career back on track entering his fight with Jeremy Smith. Despite Smith having a 2-3 record entering his fight against Townsel, he was ranked No. 2 in the cruiserweight division. Townsel took advantage of his opportunity to fight a contender with a number next to his name.
Townsel was able to put pressure on Smith throughout the night. When Townsel fired out his power punches, he was able to make Smith carry visible damage. By the fourth round, Smith’s vision was clearly compromised. The ringside doctor stepped in to stop the fight in the fourth round to save Smith from himself.
Leo Carrera Picks Up Some Luck
When a fight goes to a split decision, everyone needs to hold their breath a little bit. Leo Carerra was on the right side of such a decision Friday night when he edged out Sean Hotusing. The two judges who scored the fight for Carerra awarded the win via a narrow 48-47 decision.
The judge who scored the fight for Hotusing winning had the score at 49-46. It had to feel encouraging for Hotusing, who is now 0-2 in his BKFC career.
Here’s the results from the other fight on this card not mentioned above:
- Welterweight, Peter Peraza win by technical knockout over Raymond Pell, Round 3 1:26
- Heavyweight, Joseph White by win technical knockout over Kendrick Miree, Round 4 :44
- Welterweight, Jim Pulgar win by decision over Joshua Alvarez, 48-44 (x3)
- Cruiserweight, Julio Perez win by knockout over Devonte Jefery, Round 1 :13
- Welterweight, Almat Jumanov win by technical knockout over Rayne Wells, Round 1 1:41
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By Dean McHugh.