Mick Terrill Captures Vacant UK Heavyweight Title at BKFC Newcastle
Mick Terrill Captures Vacant UK Heavyweight Title at BKFC Newcastle
Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship returned to England with an action-packed night at Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship BKFC Newcastle, where a string of finishes and heavy-handed performances highlighted the card.
Terrill Claims UK Heavyweight Gold
In the main event, Mick Terrill captured the vacant BKFC UK Heavyweight Championship with a strange first-round stoppage victory over Jay McFarlane.
The bout ended just 53 seconds into the opening round when a sharp jab from Terrill stunned McFarlane. Immediately after the punch landed, McFarlane told the referee he could not see, prompting the official to halt the contest.
While the ending was anti-climactic, the victory establishes Terrill as the top heavyweight in the UK under the BKFC banner.
Following the win, Terrill called for a shot at the BKFC World Heavyweight Championship currently held by former UFC champion Andrei Arlovski, a matchup that would pit the newly crowned UK champion against one of the most experienced heavyweights in combat sports.
Selmani Overcomes Early Trouble
Another heavyweight contest produced fireworks as Gzim Selmani knocked out Daniel Curtin just 22 seconds into the second round.
Curtin briefly stunned Selmani early with a glancing overhand left that dropped him, but the Albanian powerhouse quickly recovered and went on the attack. Selmani unleashed a barrage of punches, scoring three knockdowns in the opening round while cutting Curtin over the left eye.
Moments into round two, a jab followed by a crushing overhand right scored the fourth knockdown and forced the stoppage. Selmani celebrated with an intense, pro-wrestling-style promo that energized the crowd.
Fast Finishes Highlight the Card
Several fights ended quickly as fighters wasted little time making statements.
At light heavyweight, Sean Weir knocked out Marty Hodgson at 1:42 of the first round after backing him to the ropes with straight right hands before unleashing a finishing barrage.
In the cruiserweight division, Dec Spelman improved to 3-0 in BKFC with a dominant performance over Johnny Redmond. Spelman’s sharp technical boxing and a brutal right uppercut–left hook combination forced Redmond to retire on the stool after the opening round.
Other Notable Performances
Elsewhere on the card:
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Lewis Garside earned a unanimous decision over Kieron Sewell after damaging Sewell’s nose and cheek with heavy right hands.
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Joe Lister stopped Danny Wall in the first round with a left straight after scoring an earlier knockdown with a body shot.
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Jack Cullen finished Marley Churcher via second-round TKO following a powerful left hook.
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Lewis Keen dominated Jon Telfer over five rounds, scoring knockdowns in the first and fourth rounds.
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James Lilley delivered a 38-second knockout of Yannick Van Dinther after moving up two weight classes on short notice.
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Mikey Henderson forced a doctor’s stoppage against Liam Dooley after badly damaging his right eye with a sharp jab.
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James Walker stopped Rowan Gregory after four rounds, scoring knockdowns in rounds two, three, and four.
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Jeff Saunders dropped Bartek Kanabey three times before finishing the fight early in the third round.
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Stew Martin scored a knockdown with the first punch he threw and forced Jordan Burnett to retire after the opening round.
Heavyweight Division Takes Center Stage
BKFC Newcastle delivered a night filled with knockdowns and stoppages, but the biggest story may be the rise of Terrill as the new UK heavyweight champion.
With momentum on his side and a world title opportunity potentially looming against Arlovski, the BKFC heavyweight landscape could soon see a major international showdown.
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