Blood, Knockdowns, and Bare Knuckle Chaos Headline BKB 56 in Los Angeles
BKB 56 delivered everything fans have come to expect from bare-knuckle boxing Saturday night in Los Angeles. Veterans turned back the clock, champions added to their legacies, and one instant classic left both fighters barely recognizable after five unforgettable rounds.
The night’s main event saw former world boxing champion Victor Ortiz earn a unanimous decision over Dominic Salcido in a tactical yet violent contest. The opening round featured a chess match between two skilled boxers before the action escalated. Salcido suffered a cut outside his left eye in the second round, while swelling quickly formed around both eyes. In the third, Salcido split Ortiz open with a sharp left cross, but Ortiz answered immediately by flooring Salcido with a crushing right hand. Ortiz pressed the action over the final two rounds, although Salcido’s relentless offense left Ortiz’s left eye nearly swollen shut by the final bell.
The co-main event between Adel Altamimi and Eduardo Perez will be remembered as one of the wildest fights in BKB history. Altamimi stole the opening round with a late knockdown before taking command in the second with two more trips to the canvas. Perez refused to fade, scoring a knockdown late in the round and finding new life in the third with another. Altamimi dug deep, rallying with two knockdowns of his own to reclaim momentum. As the brutal war continued, both fighters traded punishment while Altamimi frequently tied up whenever Perez landed clean. A ninth knockdown overall came late in the fourth, and with both men battered beyond recognition, the referee mercifully waved off the contest before the fifth round, awarding Altamimi, who scored seven of the knockdowns the TKO victory.
Two-division champion LT Nelson made another statement by capturing a dominant stoppage victory over Serob Minasyan, earning his first win in a third weight class. Nelson recorded five knockdowns, including a devastating right uppercut in the third round before finishing the fight with two more knockdowns from inside the clinch in the fourth.
Former interim boxing world champion Alfredo Angulo authored a successful comeback, knocking out Rashad Bowensat 1:04 of the second round. Bowens enjoyed early success, opening a cut over Angulo’s right eye, but the veteran’s relentless pressure eventually overwhelmed him. A crushing right hand stunned Bowens before a left hook ended the fight.
Former Bellator standout Henry Corrales defeated Ihor Blazhenko by doctor stoppage after scoring two knockdowns, while Ozzie Alvarez claimed a unanimous decision over Kaine Tomlinson Jr. in a back-and-forth affair that featured a knockdown by each fighter.
One of the evening’s most controversial moments came when Jesse Sparks knocked out Darius Lesane just 34 seconds into the opening round. Sparks had already drawn criticism after shoving and striking Lesane while he was down before the restart. Moments later, a looping overhand right flattened Lesane, and Sparks’ post-fight celebration directed at Lesane’s corner nearly sparked a riot.
Earlier on the preliminary card, JoJo Diaz stopped Nate Williams after three first-round knockdowns. Zion Tomlinson earned a standing TKO over Said Abdulgaziev after scoring two knockdowns and declared afterward that the performance should earn him a title opportunity. Danny Ramirez knocked out JD Burns with a counter right hand during an exchange in the pocket, while Jorge Martinez stopped Ryan Venable with a brutal series of right hooks to the body. The lone draw of the night came when Jackie Cataline and Alexa Gracias battled through a gritty clinch-heavy contest that ended in a split draw.
One scheduled bout never made it to the ring, as Cub Hawkins was not medically cleared on fight day, forcing the cancellation of his matchup with Rowdy Montgomery.
From technical boxing displays to all-out wars, BKB 56 showcased every side of bare-knuckle fighting. With highlight-reel knockouts, dramatic comebacks, and one unforgettable fight-of-the-year candidate, Los Angeles played host to one of the promotion’s most memorable events.
About The Author
