Surprise! (Not really.)
Former WBA boxing champion Austin Trout opened as a monster betting favorite over ex-UFC welterweight bruiser Diego Sanchez for the upcoming BKFC: “KnuckleMania 3” bareknuckle event on Fri., Feb. 17, 2023 at Tingley Coliseum in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Trout is currently sitting at -1000 (1/10) against +600 (6/1) for Sanchez, according to numbers provided to MMAmania.com today from BetOnline.ag.
The 37 year-old Trout is 36-5-1 inside the boxing ring and coming off five straight wins. “No Doubt” has gone toe-to-toe with the likes of Miguel Cotto (W) and Canelo Alvarez (L), among others, and was a surprising choice for next month’s bareknuckle bonanza.
As for the CTE-resistant Sanchez, who turned 41 just last month, he stands at 30-14 as a cage fighter (across multiple divisions) but was known primarily for his wrestling and grappling, having been outstruck by a wide margin in his final three UFC fights.
BKFC: “KnuckleMania 3” will also feature the light heavyweight title fight between Lorenzo Hunt and Mike Richman. Elsewhere on the card, former BKFC interim bantamweight champion Jarod Grant returns against former UFC standout John Dodson.