Sanchez and Cutter Headline BKFC Prospect Card
Donald Sanchez has been around the block in MMA. He’s fought on Bellator, LFA, and even ONE Championship cards. Now firmly vested in bare-knuckle boxing, he takes on fellow American former MMA combatant Noah Cutter. In addition to the main event, there are plenty of great fights at the Revel Arena in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Sanchez and Cutter Ride Last Chance Saloon
Donald Sanchez and Noah Cutter have been gifted numerous chances in the BKFC. Both have losing records, having fought multiple fights and coming up short in most instances. Subsequently, they’ve been relegated to the non-PPV cards, this BKFC prospect card. Yet, neither man is truly a fighting prospect, comfortably over 30 and with an advanced resume.
After stepping away from MMA, Sanchez first took up professional boxing, earning a 1-1 record. That was before the allure of the bare-knuckle discipline attracted him to BKFC, where he also has a 1-1 record. Given that he will celebrate his 40th birthday later this year, Sanchez has no time to spare and needs wins on the board if he’s going to make a decent stab at the promotion and become relevant on the bare-knuckle boxing news sites.
Noah Cutter is also at a decisive juncture in his bare-knuckle career. With a BKFC record of 3-6, it’s a hard sell to book this man on a card and then ask viewers to part with money for the privilege. What will hurt Cutter more is that none of his last four fights have made it past the second round, with his latter two not passing the first. This could be a key to victory for his opponent should Cutter become rattled early on in the fight.
Something Has to Give When Identical Records Collide
It’s rare when fighters (other than those both making their debut) face off with the same wins and losses. That is when Taylor Starling and Jenny Savage, both women, enter the fight with 3-2 BKFC records.
Savage does have the experience edge over her opponent, having fought more overall fights in her career as she notched up a 3-4 MMA record before joining the BKFC in 2020. Since then, she’s not had much luck gathering momentum, having traded wins and losses in almost equal numbers. Her last outing ended in the judges ruling against her and awarding the win to Britain Hart. If Savage gets back to the level where she fights Hart for the strawweight championship, she must get past Starling first.
There’s a lot to like about Starling. Firstly, she’s delivered some of the most exciting fights in the women’s division of BKFC, and despite having an OnlyFans account, she’s far more than just a pretty face. She works closely with a coffee bean production company named Savage Sip Coffee, so she’s never short of caffeine before heading into a fight, potentially while she’s one of the most exciting fighters in women’s boxing right now. She also lost her last fight as Jade Masson-Wong won on points. The winner of this will have a lot of prosperity in their future BKFC career, while the other will have to look down at an uninspiring 3-3 record.
Can Dodson Bring Back the Fast KO?
Eric Dodson accelerated his BKFC career by knocking his opponent out by winning his first two matches in the first round. The combined total time of both matches didn’t exceed two minutes, as he quickly became a fan favorite. Unfortunately, he suffered a stuttering blow to his BKFC career in his third fight. Robert Armas was a replacement opponent for Dodson and frustrated him for the complete five rounds. Armas won the battle on decision, and Dodson fell to a 2-1 record. All will be forgotten and forgiven if he can succeed in his fourth BKFC fight in rapid style; otherwise, he’ll just be another flash-in-the-pan.
His opponent is another man looking to regain a foothold in the BKFC, Dakota Highpine. Highpine is on a 1-2 record and arguably could be finished in the promotion if he doesn’t win a fight soon. In theory, this desperation will bring out the best in both fighters. The unfortunate attribute for Highpine is that he’s been stopped early in his last two fights, which Dodson has shown an ability to do.
Israilov Makes BKFC Debut
Ismail Israilov might not be the biggest name from the Russian MMA lineage, but this man started brightly in his fighting career. He famously fought with Khabib Nurmagomedov’s promotion, Eagle Fighting Championship, before also participating in the LFA. His last fight saw him defeat Daniel de la Cruz with an array of punches in the third round at LFA 169.
Maybe his coaches told him he could make a living with his fists, so now he’s debuting in the BKFC. Despite being born in Russia, Israilov now has ties to New Mexico as he trains at the Jackson Wink MMA facility in the state. Could he be treated with a roaring home reception if he wins? If so, that would make at least trending boxing news in the state.
He’s set to take on another BKFC debutant in the form of Don Mohammed. The American also fought multiple MMA fights before taking this opportunity, most well-known for his three fights with Bellator between 2016 and 2018. Yet, his performances seldom moved the needle for MMA news sites. Mohammad was more of a submission specialist in his prior career but can utilize those skills in the BKFC. However, he’s had enough time to prepare, having not fought since 2022.
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