Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship chugs along tonight (Sat., April 6, 2019) inside Mississippi Coast Coliseum in Biloxi, Miss., with a pair of former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Featherweight brawlers at the helm. In the main event, Artem Lobov looks to secure a grudge match with Paulie Malignaggi at the expense of local favorite Jason Knight. Other UFC veterans include co-main event competitor Chris Leben, Chase Sherman, Isaac Vallie-Flagg and Johnny Bedford.
MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE coverage of “Lobov vs. Knight” below, starting with the free Prelims on Facebook.com at 8 p.m. ET. The pay-per-view (PPV) main card begins one hour later and can be purchased on FITE.tv.
Bareknuckle FC 5: “Lobov vs. Knight” Quick Results:
Artem Lobov vs. Jason Knight — Lobov def. Knight by unanimous decision (48-47 x2, 48-46)
Justin Baesman vs. Chris Leben — Leben def. Baesman by knockout at 0:25 of Round One
Britain Hart vs. Christine Ferea — Ferea def. Hart by TKO (cut) at 1:09 of Round Two
Sam Shewmaker vs. Chase Sherman — Split draw (45-50, 48-47, 48-48)
Lightweight semifinal: Rusty Crowder vs. Reggie Barnett — Barnett def. Crowder by unanimous decision (50-44 x3)
Randy Hedderick vs. Isaac Vallie-Flagg — Vallie-Flagg def. Hedderick by TKO (broken hand) at 1:22 of Round Three
Lightweight semifinal: Abdiel Velazquez vs. Johnny Bedford — Bedford def. Velazquez by TKO at 0:58 of Round Four
Kaleb Harris vs. Harris Stephenson — Stephenson def. Harris by split decision (50-47, 47-48, 49-46)
Sheena Starr vs. Ivana Coleman — Starr def. Coleman by TKO (eye injury) at 0:37 of Round Two
Troy Beets vs. Bobo O’Bannen — O’Bannen def. Beets by TKO in Round Four
Bareknuckle FC 5: “Lobov vs. Knight” Play-By-Play Updates:
145 lbs.: Artem Lobov vs. Jason Knight
Round one: Lobov gets dropped by a left hook in just 15 seconds, pops back to his feet to protest. Counter right by Lobov and they slug it out in the center. Knight with a good body shot. Counter from Lobov busts up Knight’s eye, but Knight comes back with an apparent knockdown that’s ruled a slip. Knight tries to press the advantage and gets slumped by a counter. He beats the count, but looks worse for wear. They go back to slugging and Lobov is starting to do some serious damage. 10-9 Lobov.
Round two: They continue to trade to kick off the second round. Counter left rattles Knight. A lead left follows up and drops Knight once again. Knight lands a hard uppercut inside, then one to the body. Lobov lands counters that kick off a wild exchange against the ropes, with the two ultimately tumbling to the mat. Another hard trade. More slugging. 10-8 Lobov.
Round three: Lobov with a nasty uppercut and left hand early on. Double left, 2-3. Halfway through. Counter right. Knight with a heavy 2-1. Doubel right. Overhand left sends Knight stumbling back, he returns with an uppercut. Heavy trade inside. Lobov lead left. Overhand left by Lobov and Knight gets dropped, wobbling when he stands. 10-8 Lobov.
Round four: Lobov digs to the body, both men land right hands. Lobov uppercut connects. Overhand right cracks Knight and Lobov doubles up the left hand behind it. Double left again. Halfway through. Counter right. Knight’s still in there, but taking some heavy shots. Knight zombie marching after him and he hurts Lobov with a right hook! Lobov clinches up. Big lefts by Lobov. Knight blasts him with a straight right, hurts him at the bell as they trade. Wow. 10-9 Knight.
Round five: Knight still coming after him. Lead left from Lobov. Knight blasts him with right hands inside. Straight left from Lobov. Again, answered by a Knight uppercut. Counter right from Lobov as Knight marches after him. Knight eats a left, digs to the body in the clinch halfway through. Lobov slips in the clinch. Left hand lands and Knight starts clubbing him in the clinch. Brutal 1-2. Suddenly Knight has him badly rocked on the ropes. Lobov clinches and Knight can’t put him away. 10-9 Knight.
Final result: Lobov def. Knight by unanimous decision
205 lbs.: Justin Baesman vs. Chris Leben
Round one: Leben comes out slugging, clubs Baesman with an overhand left and drills him with clinch uppercuts until he goes down and takes the count.
Final result: Leben def. Baesman by knockout
126 lbs.: Britain Hart vs. Christine Ferea
Round one: Tentative start. Ferea with a glancing hook. Both jabbing, neither landing. Halfway through. They trade in the center. Ferea left hook. Hart tries a 1-2-3. 10-9 Ferea.
Round two: They slug it out in the clinch to start. Ferea jabs the body. Jab upstairs, clean right cross stings Hart. Ferea on the attack, pummeling her with crosses and uppercuts. Ref pauses things to check out Hart’s eye, which is busted up something nasty. The cut’s in a terrible place and the ref calls it.
Final result: Ferea def. Hart by TKO (cut)
Heavyweight: Sam Shewmaker vs. Chase Sherman
Round one: Sherman looking to jab. No big power shots from either man yet. Counter right from Sherman answered by a snappy jab. Halfway in. Sherman lands a right downstairs and looks for a left hook up top. Combination by Sherman, no real clean contact. Both land right hands. 10-9 Sherman.
Round two: Sherman with a quick right cross. They trade in the center, right hand and jab connect for Shewmaker. Sherman tries an overhand, eats counters. Halfway through. Sherman jabs the body. Double jab by Shewmaker. Sherman with a low-high combo. They slug in the center. Sherman digs a right downstairs. 10-9 Shewmaker.
Round three: Good exchange in the center. Another one, kicked off by a Shewmaker overhand right answered by a Sherman combination. Halfway through. Trading jabs. Left hook by Sherman. Short right hand as Shewmaker ducks. Counter two-piece. Sherman looks for a combo near the ropes. 10-9 Sherman.
Round four: Trading jabs to start the round. Sherman instinctively almost throws a low kick and they laugh about it. Close round halfway through. Stiff jab by Sherman and both try overhand rights. Shewmaker lands a right downstairs, Sherman digs to the body. 10-9 Sherman.
Round five: Shewmaker lands a jab, avoids a wild overhand. Sherman lands a jab and an angled right behind it. Halfway through. They trade on the ropes, both men connecting. Sherman with a left hook and double right. Both swing big in the center. Shewmaker tries a leaping hook, lands an overhand right. 10-9 Sherman.
Final result: Split draw
135 lbs.: Rusty Crowder vs. Reggie Barnett Jr.
Round one: Barnett in pursuit early. Left hand to the body. Counter rights from Crowder. Clinch. Right from Crowder halfway through. Ref warns Crowder for timidity. Crowder lands a right and clinches. Barnett chases him, Crowder slips. 10-9 Crowder since he actually landed some punches.
Round two: Barnett charges out with punches, clinched. Counter hook by Barnett. Hard hooks and he rips the body against the ropes. Barnett marches in, clinched again halfway through. Crowder clinches again. Crowder throws a right and clinches. Barnett lands a low-high combo. 10-9 Barnett.
Round three: Barnett unloads a series of hooks on the ropes. Barnett staying on him, gets clinched. Lead left by Barnett. Shifting right hand, clinched. Halfway through. Barnett still chasing him. Right hand from Crowder. They trade rights in the center. Big right hook by Barnett. 10-9 Barnett.
Round four: Barnett rushing after him, yelling for Crowder to engage. Crowder nearly throws him through the ropes and loses a point for it. They trade in the center. Barnett to the body, then an uppercut behind him. Barnett blasts him to the body once more halfway through. He keeps pursuing until the bell. 10-9 Barnett.
Round five: Barnett throwing heat. Hooks in the clinch. Clinch again. Barnett taunting him, lands an overhand left. Halfway in. Barnett lands a 1-1-2. Short rights from Crowder. Clinch. Clinch. 10-9 Barnett.
Final result: Barnett def. Crowder by unanimous decision
165 lbs.: Randy Hedderick vs. Isaac Vallie-Flagg
Round one: Hedderick jumps in immediately, throwing heat. Clinch. Right hand downstairs for Vallie-Flagg, who eats a series of shots in the clinch. They separate. Vallie-Flagg with an uppercut and jab. Clinch. Halfway in. Trading at point blank. Two sharp rights by Hedderick. Clinch. Vallie-Flagg with some good dirty boxing. 10-9 Hedderick.
Round two: Jab from Hedderick. 1-1-2 by Vallie-Flagg, clinch. Hedderick exits with a right hand, left hook afterwards. Vallie-Flagg lead right answered by a body shot. Uppercut from Vallie-Flagg, who absorbs an uppercut. Hedderick lands inside, eats a three-piece. Hedderick lands a nice right hook. Halfway in. Clinch. Left hook by Hedderick met by dirty boxing from Vallie-Flagg. Hedderick takes a low blow and they pause. Vallie-Flagg lands a hard 1-2 and some right hands inside. 10-9 Vallie-Flagg.
Round three: Hedderick opens the round with a nasty combination. Clinch. PPV stream dies for a bit, and when it comes back, Vallie-Flagg cracks him in the clinch until he goes down. Vallie-Flagg staying on him, cracking him with right hands. Hedderick takes a knee, claiming a broken hand, and it’s over. Hedderick looks like he’s in serious pain.
Final result: Vallie-Flagg def. Hedderick by TKO (broken hand)
135 lbs.: Abdiel Velazquez vs. Johnny Bedford
Round one: Bedford advancing early and they trade in side. Velasquez’s counters looking sharp. Bedford invites him to trade in the center, then cracks him with a right hook. Halfway through. Left hook from Bedford. 2-3, but he gets clipped by Velasquez’s counters. More counters on the ropes. Velasquez landing his combinations. 10-9 Velasquez.
Round two: Bedford looking to pressure, lands a combo after Velasquez slips and lands a left hook that prompts another slip. More pressure and it’s a knockdown this time, at least in the ref’s eyes. He makes the count easily. Halfway through. 2-3 from Bedford. Right hand downstairs and a pair of left hooks to the head drop Velasquez legitimately. Clinch when he gets up. 10-7 Bedford.
Round three: Bedford continues to pressure. Velasquez throwing off his back foot, takes hooks to the body and head. Left hook slips through for Bedford, counter combo by Velasquez. Bedford waves him in again, then unloads on him on the ropes halfway through. Clinch. Big right hook on the break floors Velasquez once again. He makes it up, lands a good counter left. 10-8 Bedford.
Round four: Bedford continues to taunt, lands a right hand inside. Heavy hook from Velasquez as they trade soon after. Bedford backs him to the ropes and cracks him with clinch uppercuts until Velasquez goes down. Velasquez pulls out his mouthpiece and shakes his head.
Final result: Bedford def. Velasquez by TKO
165 lbs. Kaleb Harris vs. Harris Stephenson
Round one: Both men trading at close range. Harris lands a clean overhand right. Stephenson counters an overextended right with a combination. Stephenson opening up. Nasty uppercut. Halfway through. Harris sporting a cut over his right eye. Jabs from him. 1-2 from Stephenson, right cross from Harris on the break. Stephenson jab. 10-9 Stephenson.
Round two: Stephenson marches forward and spends a good chunk of time clubbing Harris at close range. Stephenson with another combination after they reset. Halfway through. They trade near the center. Combination lands for Stevenson. Nice uppercut knocks Harris back. 10-9 Stephenson.
Round three: Stephenson continues to march patiently after him. Counter hook from Harris, right uppercut from Stephenson. Another hook from Harris lands clean. Halfway through. Counter jab. 1-3. 10-9 Harris.
Round four: Harris finding success potshotting at range. 2-1 lands for Stephenson. They call time to replace Stephenson’s mouthpiece. Halfway through. They hang out outside of each other’s range for a bit. 1-2 by Stephenson. Combination falls short. 1-2 from Stephenson, counter left by Harris. 10-9 Stephenson.
Round five: Harris falling short with punches. Right hand downstairs connects. Another. Harris doing well on the outside halfway through. Counter overhand by Harris. Stephenson left hand. Counter left from Harris, right cross from Stephenson. 10-9 Harris.
Final result: Stephenson def. Harris by split decision
125 lbs.: Sheena Starr vs. Ivana Coleman
Round one: Coleman wading in, firing overhand rights. Sloppy stuff so far, as expected. Star looking to keep her at range. Halfway through. Neither landing clean, but throwing a lot. Starr throws a combo and slips. Coleman lands a left in the clinch. Starr connects with hooks and left straights inside. Coleman overhand, Starr right hook. Hard hook by Coleman on the break. 10-9 Starr I guess.
Round two: Starr pushing forward behind combinations. Starr connects with a 2-3 that buries a knuckle in Coleman’s eye, sending the latter to her knees and prompting the ref to call it.
Final result: Starr def. Coleman by TKO (eye injury)
Heavyweight: Troy Beets vs. Bobo O’Bannen
Round one: Beets opens with a left downstairs. Straight left; the older man is the busier so far. They tie up and O’Bannen looks to punch. Combinations now landing for O’Bannen. Heavy right cross hurts Beets and O’Bannon looks to pile up the punches. Beets survives, connects with a straight left. Halfway through. Beets with a left downstairs, continues landing that shot. O’Bannon takes a finger in the eye. Beets lands the left downstairs once again when they resume. Combination upstairs, but O’Bannen smacks him with a series of heavy right hands to reclaim momentum. 10-9 O’Bannen.
Round two: Beets wades in to start it off. Once again, O’Bannen finds the mark with repeated right hands, ultimately sending Beets to his knees. He beats the count with ease. O’Bannen looking for more straight rights. Beets ties up, takes a body shot. 1-2 from Beets. Halfway through. Overhand lefts by Beets, back to the clinch. HUGE straight left from Beets and O’Bannon’s down and nearly out! He makes it to his feet with some issues and ties up. 10-9 Beets.
Round three: Clinch to start. Booming pair of lefts from Beets, clipped by a right cross in return but Beets on the attack. More counter rights slow his roll. 2-3 from O’Bannen. Good hook in the clinch, Beets slips. Halfway through. O’Bannen cracks him with an uppercut and left hook for another knockdown. Beets again beats the count. Lead left by Beets, eats a left hook. O’Bannen pops him with a close-range combo. 10-8 O’Bannen.
Round four: They come out trading before tying up on the ropes. Beets goes back into the clinch, takes some head shots. Nice uppercut by Beets met by a two-piece from O’Bannen. Clinch break. O’Bannen goes low-high with left hooks and Beets turns his back, prompting a stoppage.
Final result: O’Bannen def. Beets by TKO