BKFC 86 recap: Blood, Overtime, and Championship Grit at Mohegan Sun
If BKFC 86 felt familiar, that’s because it was. Mohegan Sun Arena once again served as the backdrop — the same venue that closed out BKFC’s 2025 calendar — but what unfolded inside was anything but routine.
Pague Outlasts Lane in Championship War
Dustin Pague def. Julian Lane — Decision (57–56 x3)
BKFC Welterweight World Championship
This was bare-knuckle chaos at its finest.
Pague scored the first momentum shift of the fight early, catching Lane backing up with his chin high and flooring him with a clean left hook. Through the opening rounds, Pague’s feints and constant motion kept Lane guessing, forcing the challenger to reset before launching his trademark aggression.
By Round 3, Lane began dragging the fight into deep waters. In the fourth, he went full berserk — turning the bout into a phone-booth war and slicing Pague open diagonally across the forehead above the right eye. Blood poured, the pace never slowed, and by the fifth round the welterweight title was hanging by a thread.
Lane’s relentless pressure forced a sudden-death overtime round, but championships are often decided by moments. With Lane pressing Pague fired a perfectly timed right hook that snapped Lane’s head back and stole the round — and the belt.
It wasn’t pretty. It was earned.
Jamel Herring Looks Right at Home Bare Knuckle
The transition from gloves to bare knuckle has humbled more than a few decorated boxers. Jamel Herring didn’t get that memo.
In his BKFC debut, the two-time world champion looked composed, calculated, and completely comfortable, earning a clear decision win over BKFC veteran Matt Guymon.
Guymon’s exaggerated level changes and explosive entries were met with veteran poise. Herring’s timing, distance control, and shot selection shut down nearly every attempt to close range. When frustration boiled over and Guymon was deducted a point for a takedown, the writing was already on the wall. Herring punished every mistake and boxed his way to a dominant decision.
Figueroa Shows Maturity Beyond His Years
Ramiro Figueroa and Dalvin Blair went the distance, but this fight belonged to Figueroa.
Using sharp footwork and disciplined range management, Figueroa kept Blair at the end of his punches while avoiding the loaded power shots Blair hunted all night. Blair found success in the clinch, but paid for it with swelling and cuts around his left eye as the fight wore on.
This was a polished performance from a young fighter clearly leveling up in real time.
Disciullo, Viana Remain Unbeaten
Rico Disciullo continued his rise, improving to 3-0 in BKFC with a violent second-round knockout of Ashton Caniglia. After backing Caniglia to the ropes, Disciullo unleashed a barrage of right hands, scoring a knockdown with a right uppercut before finishing the job with a brutal hook to the eye.
Guilherme Viana matched that efficiency, also moving to 3-0 with a first-round TKO of Juan Figuerva. Two stiff jabs produced knockdowns before the referee waved it off — quick, surgical, and punishing.
Heavyweight Grit and Crimson Chaos
Ras Hylton delivered one of the night’s gutsiest performances, rebounding from an early knockdown to stop Branko Busick in the fifth round. Once Hylton trapped Busick on the ropes, it was a relentless barrage until the referee had no choice but to intervene.
Trey Martin vs. Nate Ghareeb was exactly what bare-knuckle fans tune in for — violent, reckless, and soaked in blood. Martin fought through a deep gash on his forehead, bleeding profusely as both men unloaded nonstop haymakers. When the dust settled, Martin’s heart and pressure earned him a hard-fought split decision.
Undercard Notes
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Joey Gambino def. Kurtis Ellis — TKO (Round 2, 1:08)
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Brandon Meneses def. Zach Pannell — TKO (Round 1)
Meneses needed less than a minute, slicing Pannell open with a straight left to end the fight. -
Jared Lennon vs. Chachi Versace — Split Draw
Lennon controlled the early rounds with clean southpaw work before Versace flipped the fight with clinch pressure and late knockdowns.
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