Paul Venis Celebrates BKFC Prospect Series Newcastle Debut With Come-From-Behind KO

Paul Venis couldn’t have felt too worried the first time that he got dumped on the canvas during the Bare Knuckle Fight Prospect Series in Newcastle. Things in his life have been much more difficult than the result of a fight. Venis, who served three years in prison over a decade ago, has spent a lot of time since rebuilding his life.

The toughness Venis has gained served him well. The former K1 kickboxer turned things around quickly at the Walker Activity Dome. After Bulgaria’s Stanoy Tabakov knocked Venis down early in the fight, it was one-way traffic for the rest of the contest.

Venis battered Tabakov, knocking him down five times. The fifth and final knockdown came 47 seconds into the third round. This was a solid introduction to the sport for Venis, who didn’t have much traditional or bare-knuckle boxing experience entering the event. With Venis’ story of facing adversity, online boxing news shows he should be an interesting fixture in the heavyweight division.

This fight card featured several British fighters making their debut in their home country with spectacular finishes. The British cards always feature a high amount of passion and are part of a festive atmosphere.

Jardine Introduces Himself in Grand Fashion

Becoming a champion in BKFC requires having a good team. Pic Jardine didn’t have an easy challenge coming into the organization when he was set to fight an undefeated opponent in Bart Krol. After deciding to fight in BKFC, Jardine sought out excellent coaching.

When Jardine went to the ring on Saturday, he had the support of BKFC World heavyweight champion Mick Terrill. Jardine looked more than well-prepared for the bout. Krol couldn’t keep up with what Jardine could offer.

Krol went down to the canvas twice but couldn’t score a knockdown of his own. The fight was stopped 35 seconds into the third round when Krol didn’t get back up after being dumped down by Jardine.

Christie Maintains Spot in Championship Picture

Danny Christie is the No. 2 ranked light heavyweight contender in the BKFC. But with no one in Christie’s division able to step up and challenge him, the British fighter wanted to stay active. To do so, Christie stepped down in competition to take on Jimmy Millar in the middleweight division.

Christie kept his foot on the gas, pushing the pace from the opening bell. Christie scored two knockdowns but couldn’t do enough to wrap up a knockout. Christie is now 5-1 in the promotion and will be looking for an opportunity to fight for a belt soon.

Christie has struggled with his behavior since being in the BKFC. After yelling at a referee for a loss a few years ago, Christie was put on notice about how he needs to behave at these events. If Christie can keep his cool and continue to pile up victories, he should be fighting for a championship sooner rather than later.

Moir Sweats Out Decision with John Ferguson

The book is out on Danny Moir. Moir isn’t a fighter who necessarily possesses one-punch knockout power. He likes to be smart, pick his shots, and hope the accumulation of damage will wear out his opponent.

While technical fight fans may love watching Moir fight, his style will always result in a difficult time scoring the fight. Many combat sports emphasize power shots when it comes to judging. Moir found that to be true in the BKFC as well.

He was involved in a back-and-forth fight with John Ferguson. While Moir had more volume, Ferguson’s superior power swayed some of the judges’ opinions. Moir ended up winning via split decision.

Culshaw Announces Himself to Organization

Jack Culshaw didn’t get an easy first challenge in BKFC. According to boxing news & results, Culshaw had to fight against previously undefeated Bartek Kanebey in his first-ever fight in the promotion this weekend. It was no sweat for Culshaw.

Culshaw has immersed himself in the sport over the past few years. Culshaw trains with the Yorkshire Gladiators, which specializes in bare-knuckle boxing. He also trains with Venis and Jardine, who both turned in impressive wins on this card.

Culshaw ended up scoring a third-round knockout victory against Kanabey. Kanabey fell to 2-1 in his BKFC career.

Hardy Nearly Goes the Distance

Cameron Hardy built his reputation as a ground-and-pound specialist while fighting professional MMA. But the MMA latest updates show that Hardy’s transition to BKFC may be the right move for him. Hardy was challenged throughout his debut fight against Bryan Creighton this weekend.

But Hardy never stopped looking to try and end the fight. During the fifth round, Hardy finally got the job done. Hardy landed a combination that stopped the fight with 43 seconds remaining.

Stevie Taylor Picks Up Pace in Dominant Victory

Stevie Taylor couldn’t have looked much more impressive during his BKFC debut. He battered Jakub Kosicki from the opening bell of their cruiserweight fight. Taylor challenged Kosicki to keep up the pace, but the Polish MMA fighter couldn’t keep up with him.

Taylor has a long history with boxing. During a traditional gloved boxing career from 2011 to 2022, Taylor finished with a record of 7-2. Taylor wasn’t a fighter who was known for his power. During Taylor’s career, he only finished with three knockout victories. However, Taylor showcased some power against Kosicki. Taylor battered Kosicki throughout the fight before the doctor stepped in and brought the fight to an end in the fourth round.

Here’s a look at the rest of the fights from the card that weren’t mentioned above:

• Bradley Taylor win by TKO over Dan Mohammed, Round 1 :43
• Gary Slator win by TKO over Rob Cunningham, Round 1 :56
• Luke Beamish win by decision over Will Rochester
• Ryan Sanson win by decision over Jeremy Waltron

Find all the latest boxing news and MMA breaking updates on boxingnews.com.

By Dean McHugh.