BKFC is headed to Philadelphia this January for its first event in the historic "Quaker City."
On Tuesday, BKFC announced that the fifth installment of KnuckleMania will showcase a showdown between UFC veterans Eddie Alvarez and Jeremy Stephens. The highly anticipated bout is scheduled for Jan. 25 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
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"The Underground King" made a strong entrance into the world of bare-knuckle fighting with a victory over fellow UFC veteran Chad Mendes at BKFC 41 in April 2023. However, his momentum faltered in his second outing, suffering a TKO loss to BKFC’s marquee star Mike Perry in December.
Now, Alvarez is gearing up for a homecoming, aiming to deliver a memorable performance in front of his hometown crowd in Philadelphia. This marks his first fight in the city in over 14 years, with his last appearance dating back to October 2010 when he secured a TKO win against Roger Huerta at Bellator 33.
Meanwhile, Stephens remains unbeaten in his bare-knuckle career, having made a stunning debut with a third-round TKO victory over Jimmie Rivera at BKFC 56. "Lil Heathen" is riding high off a dominant unanimous decision win over Bobby Taylor at BKFC 65 this past September.
The bare-knuckle promotion is making its long-awaited debut in Pennsylvania, following the state's athletic commission granting official sanctioning for gloveless boxing in 2023.