The squared circle is taking center stage in the Northwest of England as Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship brings a loaded fight card to Manchester's iconic AO Arena. Building on the arena's rich combat sports legacy—where former British boxing icon Ricky Hatton once commanded electric atmospheres—BKFC's return establishes a critical juncture for former world champions, rising international contenders, and crossover stars competing without gloves.
DeGale’s Bare-Knuckle Debut Meets Matty Floyd’s Australian Surge
Headlining the card is a high-stakes bare-knuckle debut between former two-time super middleweight world champion James "Chunky" DeGale and Australian contender Matty Floyd. DeGale, a 39-year-old West London native and 2008 GB Olympic gold medalist, enters the circular ring seven years after hanging up his boxing gloves in 2019. Amassing a 25-4 professional boxing record while facing elite opposition such as Badou Jack, George Groves, Lucian Bute, Andre Dirrell, and Chris Eubank Jr., DeGale signed with BKFC during its summer summit in Florida. Transitioning to toeing the line in two-minute rounds with bare knuckles requires a dramatic shift in distance management and clinch control for the former champion.
Facing DeGale is Perth’s Matty Floyd, a well-traveled pugilist who has collected 15 wins in 17 professional gloved bouts across Australia, Thailand, Turkiye, and Indonesia. Floyd enters the matchup with direct momentum and an opportunity to accelerate his standing in the promotion. Should Floyd navigate DeGale’s southpaw guard in the tight confines of the circular ring, a victory over an Olympic champion would instantly thrust the Australian into top-contender status.
Reality Crossover and Middleweight Title Stakes
In the co-main event, former Geordie Shore star Aaron Chalmers looks to build on his bare-knuckle foundation against former Love Island season four winner Jack Fincham. Chalmers holds a 1-0 BKFC record after delivering a measured three-round stoppage over veteran Chas Symonds in April, complementing his background across professional MMA, boxing, and influencer bouts. Fincham makes his promotional bare-knuckle debut after compiling amateur and crossover boxing experience, including a recorded draw against former Jake Paul sparring partner Anthony Taylor.
The middleweight division also sees crucial action as Graham returns following a 13-month layoff. After scoring early-career stoppages against Will Cairns and Abel Radomski, Graham dropped a unanimous decision to Connor Tierney in a bid for the vacant BKFC UK Middleweight Title. He welcomes Iran’s Mansouri, a 28-fight gloved boxing veteran who made an explosive bare-knuckle debut last April by knocking out Ruslan Tokhtarov with a right hand. Adding further weight to the division's spotlight in Manchester, BKFC confirmed a Florida-based world champion will put the BKFC World Middleweight Title on the line on UK soil.
Undercard Chemistry: Contenders, Rematches, and Rebounds
The undercard features crucial matchups across multiple divisions, highlighted by a strong contingent of British and Polish bare-knuckle fighters:
- Dec Spelman vs. Chylinski: Spelman (1-0 BKFC) transitions his 25-fight professional boxing background—which includes bouts against light heavyweight contenders Anthony Yarde and Lyndon Arthur—after outpointing Tomas Lejsek in March. He faces Chylinski (4-2, 3 KOs), who aims to rebound from stoppage losses against Gaz Corran and BKFC UK champion Karl Thompson.
- David Oscar vs. Chad Dickinson: Oscar (5-2, 4 KOs) returns following a March knockout of Stanoi Tabakov, seeking to re-establish momentum after his heavyweight clash with Agi Faulkner. Dickinson (1-1) aims for consecutive wins after breaking a seven-year hiatus with a stoppage over Rowan Gregory in February.
- Jonno Chipchase vs. Lewis Garside: Featherweight prospect Chipchase (3-1, 3 KOs) seeks redemption after a cut stopped his March main event against Gary Fox in the first round. He meets Garside (1-0), who earned a decision win over Bartek Kanabey in February.
- Bart Krol vs. Jon Telfer: Krol (5-1, 2 KOs) brings a two-fight winning streak following his defeat to Pic Jardine as he welcomes Bulgarian newcomer Jon Telfer (0-0).
BKFC Manchester Bout Breakdown
| Bout Category / Weight | Fighter A & Record | Fighter B & Record | Key Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main Event (Super Middleweight) | James DeGale (0-0 BKFC, 25-4 Boxing) | Matty Floyd (0-0 BKFC, 15-2 Boxing) | Dual bare-knuckle debuts; Olympian vs. international gloved veteran |
| Co-Main Event (Light Heavyweight) | Aaron Chalmers (1-0 BKFC) | Jack Fincham (0-0 BKFC) | Reality crossover collision; Chalmers stopped Symonds in debut |
| Middleweight Feature | Graham (2-1 BKFC) | Mansouri (1-0 BKFC, 28 Gloved Bouts) | Graham returns from title loss; Mansouri coming off April KO |
| Light Heavyweight | Dec Spelman (1-0 BKFC, 25 Gloved Bouts) | Chylinski (4-2, 3 KOs) | Spelman brings high-level boxing background vs. aggressive slugger |
| Heavyweight / Cruiserweight | David Oscar (5-2, 4 KOs) | Chad Dickinson (1-1 BKFC) | Oscar seeking back-to-back KOs; Dickinson 2nd fight since comeback |
| Featherweight | Jonno Chipchase (3-1, 3 KOs) | Lewis Garside (1-0 BKFC) | Chipchase looking to rebound from doctor stoppage loss |
Evidence-Led Forecast: Tactical Pathways for Manchester
Expected Tactical Pattern: In the main event, James DeGale's upper-body movement and traditional boxing defense will face an immediate test inside the bare-knuckle clinch. Unlike traditional gloved boxing, where fighters can cover up behind high guards, BKFC’s bare knuckles penetrate standard defensive blocks. Expect Matty Floyd to press forward early, forcing dirty boxing in the active clinch to deny DeGale space to range find with his southpaw jab.
In the co-main event, Aaron Chalmers holds a distinct structural advantage in bare-knuckle range control over Jack Fincham. Having already completed three full rounds of bare-knuckle distance management against Chas Symonds, Chalmers will likely employ a patient counter-striking system, relying on straight right hands as Fincham attempts to close distance.
Decisive Matchup Factors: The defining element of DeGale vs. Floyd will be hand conditioning and skin durability under unpadded impact. DeGale’s long layoff since 2019 means early adaptation to toeing the line and bare-knuckle impact will dictate whether his technical pedigree translates. For Chalmers vs. Fincham, inside collar ties and dirty boxing activity will decide if Fincham can bypass Chalmers' ring vision.
Strongest Counter-Case and What Changes the Read: If Floyd establishes an oppressive collar tie in round one and damages DeGale early in the clinch, DeGale's long-range boxing habits may become a liability. Conversely, if DeGale uses quick footwork to exit the active clinch without taking damage, his world-class timing could yield a swift stoppage win.
Sources
These sources formed the evidence pack for this article. Links open the original publisher; inclusion does not imply endorsement.
- mmafighting.com original
- vividseats.com original
- bareknuckleheroes.com original
- bkfc.com original
