World Bare Knuckle Fighting Federation (WBKFF) has still yet to pay fighters from their November show. Among those who haven’t been paid is former UFC welterweight, Johny Hendricks. And, earlier this week, he believed President, Bas Rutten knew about no one getting paid before the event.
“Dude, why didn’t you tell us? He had to have known something,” Hendricks told Bloody Elbow‘s Pull No Punches podcast recently. “He had to have. Was he sitting here thinking along the same line as that guy… Why hasn’t he said anything? It sucks, the whole aspect of it.”
Now, just days later, Rutten has responded to the criticism from Hendricks and says he showed all the fighters that the owner had the money ready.
“Wow, when some ignorant people believe this, I don’t really care, but once a fighter believes that? Come on now Johny, not cool, you know I am there for you and the fighters,” an impassioned Bas Rutten wrote on his FaceBook page (h/t BJPenn.com). “I told you personally, AND EVERY OTHER FIGHTER IN WYOMING BEFORE THE SHOW (ask them all), that I saw the bank statements from Tom the owner and had ‘proof of funds’ before the show. Proof that he had enough money in the bank to pay the fighters because this was to me the most important thing of all.”
Ultimately, still no fighters have been paid in full for their efforts, while Hendricks went on to lose his bout by second-round knockout.
