Martinjak Defends BKB Title After Prison Stint

Croatian bare-knuckle champion Marko Martinjak will defend his BKB bridgerweight title against England's Matty Askin on Nov. 14 at London's O2 arena, capping a career resurgence that followed a three-year prison sentence.

The 35-year-old Zagreb native carries a 13-2 record into the bout, built on an offensive philosophy that prioritizes power over self-preservation. "Every punch I want to land is going full throttle. If I hurt my hands, I don't really care," Martinjak said, per Sherdog.

From Nightclub Security to Bare-Knuckle Champion

Martinjak's path to championship status included a lengthy incarceration that he attributes to poor decisions made while working nightclub security. Now married with children, the fighter credits that experience with teaching him patience and discipline. "Everything that is easily earned will easily disappear – quickly. Nothing happens overnight," he told Sherdog.

The Croatian holds titles across five different weight classes in bare-knuckle boxing and currently enjoys financial stability through sponsorships and fight purses, allowing him to train full-time. He began martial arts with taekwondo at age 6 before transitioning to boxing at 14, a contrast to his earlier years as a professional boxer when he struggled to make ends meet.

Martinjak expects strong support in London, where Croatia's national soccer team will face England at Wembley Stadium during the same international window. He anticipates 100 to 150 Croatian supporters will attend his fight. The champion has also developed a friendship with Croatian MMA legend Mirko Cro Cop Filipovic and previously offered to serve as a sparring partner for a proposed boxing match between Cro Cop and Fedor Emelianenko that never materialized.

Despite fighting on British soil, Martinjak promises an aggressive approach against Askin and predicts another knockout finish.

Reported via:

• Sherdog — From prison to bare-knuckle champion: Marko Martinjak's remarkable rise