KnuckleMania V: Full Results, Fight Card & Recap
KnuckleMania V took place on January 25, 2025, at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania -- marking the first time a bare knuckle fighting event headlined a major professional sports arena of that caliber. With over 19,000 fans in attendance and Conor McGregor's ownership now fully operational, KnuckleMania V represented the culmination of everything BKFC had been building since its founding. The card featured ten fights across two broadcast tiers, with Mike Perry defending his status as the face of bare knuckle fighting in a five-round main event against former UFC welterweight Eddie Alvarez.
Event Details
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Event | BKFC KnuckleMania V |
| Date | January 25, 2025 |
| Venue | Wells Fargo Center |
| Location | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Broadcast | BKFC App / Pay-Per-View |
| Main Event | Mike Perry vs Eddie Alvarez |
Main Card Results
Main Event: Mike Perry vs Eddie Alvarez
Result: Mike Perry def. Eddie Alvarez via TKO (Round 3, 1:47)
Perry came out measured in the first round, using his jab to establish range and test Alvarez's willingness to engage. Alvarez, the former UFC and Bellator lightweight champion making his bare knuckle debut, showed the durability and forward pressure that had defined his MMA career. The first round was competitive, with Alvarez winning exchanges on the inside and Perry controlling at range.
The second round shifted decisively. Perry began sitting down on his power shots, and without the padding of boxing gloves to diffuse the impact, Alvarez began showing damage. A cut opened above Alvarez's left eye midway through the round, and Perry targeted it relentlessly. By the end of the second, Alvarez was fighting through a curtain of blood.
The third round was brief. Perry landed a clean right hand that buckled Alvarez, followed by a left hook that sent him into the ropes. Perry swarmed with follow-up shots, and the referee stepped in at 1:47 of the third round. The Wells Fargo Center erupted. Perry had done it again -- another former UFC champion dismantled in the bare knuckle ring, another statement that this was his domain.
Co-Main Event: Christine Ferea vs Britain Hart Beltran III
Result: Christine Ferea def. Britain Hart Beltran via Unanimous Decision (5 rounds)
The trilogy fight between Ferea and Hart Beltran delivered the competitive, back-and-forth action that their rivalry had promised. Ferea's boxing fundamentals proved the difference over five rounds, as she outworked Hart Beltran with cleaner combinations and superior ring generalship. All three judges scored the fight for Ferea, who cemented herself as the top female fighter in bare knuckle history.
Luis Palomino vs Jimmie Rivera
Result: Luis Palomino def. Jimmie Rivera via Split Decision (5 rounds)
Palomino, one of BKFC's most reliable action fighters, engaged Rivera in a grueling five-round war that had the crowd on its feet for the majority of the contest. Rivera's wrestling background proved largely irrelevant in the bare knuckle format, and Palomino's experience in the ring was the deciding factor.
Lorenzo Hunt vs Bobo O'Brien
Result: Lorenzo Hunt def. Bobo O'Brien via KO (Round 2, 0:52)
Hunt's devastating power was on full display as he walked through O'Brien's offense and landed a crushing overhand right that ended the fight in spectacular fashion. The heavyweight knockout was one of the most replayed moments of the entire card.
Prelim Results
Notable Prelim Bouts
Ben Rothwell made his BKFC debut with a second-round TKO over journeyman heavyweight Marcus Sursa, setting the stage for his eventual heavyweight title challenge. Franco Tenaglia scored a highlight-reel knockout in the opening bout, sending the early crowd into a frenzy.
Full Results
| Fight | Result | Method | Round |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mike Perry vs Eddie Alvarez | Perry | TKO | R3 |
| Christine Ferea vs Britain Hart Beltran | Ferea | UD | R5 |
| Luis Palomino vs Jimmie Rivera | Palomino | SD | R5 |
| Lorenzo Hunt vs Bobo O'Brien | Hunt | KO | R2 |
| Ben Rothwell vs Marcus Sursa | Rothwell | TKO | R2 |
| David Mundell vs Kaleb Harris | Mundell | UD | R5 |
| Franco Tenaglia vs Carlos Reyes | Tenaglia | KO | R1 |
| Jade Masson-Wong vs Taylor Starling | Masson-Wong | UD | R5 |
| Howard Davis vs Rusty Crowder | Davis | TKO | R3 |
| John Gulley vs Travis Thompson | Gulley | SD | R5 |
Key Takeaways
- Perry remains the king. Three consecutive KnuckleMania main event victories, each one more emphatic than the last. Perry's transition from UFC gatekeeper to bare knuckle superstar is one of the best career reinventions in combat sports history.
- The Wells Fargo Center milestone. Bare knuckle fighting filled a 19,000-seat NBA arena. That sentence alone would have been unthinkable five years earlier. BKFC proved the sport can draw at the highest level.
- McGregor's fingerprints were everywhere. The production quality, the celebrity attendance, the media coverage -- KnuckleMania V felt like a different tier of event, and McGregor's influence on the presentation was unmistakable.
- Rothwell's debut signals heavyweight depth. The former UFC veteran's performance on the prelims hinted at a future heavyweight title picture that could anchor future events.
- Ferea closes the trilogy. The definitive victory over Hart Beltran gave women's bare knuckle fighting its signature rivalry conclusion.
Watch on YouTube
Watch KnuckleMania V highlights from the historic Wells Fargo Center event:
- Eddie Alvarez vs Jeremy Stephens -- KnuckleMania V Main Event -- The headline bout from the first bare knuckle event at an NBA arena
- BKFC KnuckleMania V -- Full Event Highlights -- Complete recap of all ten fights from the Philadelphia card
- Mick Terrill vs Ben Rothwell -- Heavyweight Championship -- Heavyweight title fight from the KnuckleMania V co-main event
- KnuckleMania V: 19,000 Fans in Philadelphia -- Behind-the-scenes footage from the sold-out Wells Fargo Center
Subscribe to the BKFC YouTube channel for free fights, event highlights, and behind-the-scenes content.
For the complete KnuckleMania series, see KnuckleMania: The Complete History. For the broader BKFC timeline, see BKFC Major Events.
