BareKnuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) is live TONIGHT (Fri., June 23, 2023), streaming live online via FITE+ straight from inside Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida. We’ve got a promising banger for tonight’s main event with former Bellator and World Series of Fighting (WSOF) competitor, Luis Palomino, taking on fellow undefeated (in boxing), James Lilley. Palomino — who has found a second life after mixed martial arts (MMA) in the bareknuckle world — is BKFC’s reigning Lightweight and Welterweight champion and boasts an unblemished record (8-0) since switching sports in 2020 at age 39.
Suffice it to say that “Baboon” is in rarified air, right now, as he races Father Time to keep up his streak.
His opponent, Lilley, is another MMA fighter-turned boxer who has also managed to avoid tasting defeat in the bareknuckle world. Sporting a 7-0-1 record since joining the nascent resurgent sport in 2018, “Lights Out” is hoping to wrest Palomino’s Lightweight belt away from him in one of the more talent-rich weight classes in all of combat sports.
Unless you’re a die-hard of this type of fisticuffs, there’s a good chance the rest of the card is full of names new to you. But, that’s alright! The good thing about this particular sport is that it’s chock full of slips and rips, swangin’ and bangin,’ and highlights up the wazoo (like this one).
BKFC 45 ‘Palomino vs. Lilley’ Quick Results
155 lbs. Luis Palomino def. James Lilley — (48-47, 48-47, 49-46)
190 lbs. Jake Bostwick def. Erick Lozano — Decision (50-45, 49-46, 49-46)
165 lbs. Howard Davis def. Eduardo Peralta — KO, Rd. 1, 1:36
155 lbs. Bryan Duran def. Gilberto Aguilar — TKO, Rd. 3, 2:00
165 lbs. James Dennis vs. Rene Rodriguez — TKO, Rd. 2, 1:32
205 lbs. Dillion Winemiller def. Stephen Townsel — KO, Rd. 2, 1:07
135 lbs. Gee Perez def. Philip Ryan Carroll — KO, Rd. 1, 1:52
135 lbs. Alberto Blas def. Robert Armas — TKO, Rd 1, 0:47
BKFC 45 Play-By-Play Results
Luis Palomino vs James Lilley for the BKFC Lightweight Championship
Round 1: Palomino in black, Lilley in red. Palomino opens with a lunging left. Lilley goes for a straight left. Palomino gets in one of his own. Lilley jab, Palomino to the body. Tough round to score here, think I’m leaning Lilley on volume.
10-9 Lilley
Round 2: Glancing right by Lilley. Palomino lands a hard left and Lilley looks a bit unsteady. Palomino parries the jab. Clinch and a ref break. Luis gets in a left to the chest. Palomino moving well, jumps in with a left that doesn’t land clean. Nice jab by Lilly.
10-9 Palomino
Round 3: They clinch and both men land some decent shots as the ref lets it go for a little. Palomino looks like his were a bit better. Another clinch initiated by Lilley and the crowd doesn’t care for it. Palomino hits a jab. Nearly a superman punch by Palomino initiates another clinch. Lilley with a nice uppercut and Palomino gets in a right. Another close round.
10-9 Palomino
Round 4: Both men flurry and Lilley’s right hand lands very clean during that exchange. Jab by Lilley. Palomino has a cut over his right eye. Palomino enters with a nice left, Lilley gets in a right. Clinch and some dirty-boxing by Palomino ends the round.
10-9 Lilley
Round 5: Lilley connects on a left, Palomino misses on one of his own. Lilley’s right hand hits the shoulder, but he lands a left a bit later. Palomino letting this round slip away with inaction. Lilley with a combo, but all get blocked. Palomino with some short rights in the clinch.
10-9 Lilley
FINAL RESULT: Luis Palomino def. James Lilley via decision, 49-46 x2, 48-47
Jake Bostwick vs. Erick Lozano
Round 1: Lozano in black, Bostwick in blue. Bostwick coming out swinging, but doesn’t really connect. Lozano with a 1-2 to the body. Bostwick gets in a nice left. Lozano’s right cheek looks a bit rosy already. Bostwick goes body head and looks nice doing it. Lozano swings a backhand and that gets a warning from the ref. Right to Bostwick’s body, one to Lozano’s head.
10-9 Bostwick
Round 2: Bostwick throws a combo but whiffs on all of it. Lefts by both men. Slower pace here with 40 seconds left in the round. Both men staying on their defensive game. Lozano with an uppercut.
10-9 Lozano
Round 3: Bostwick connects a left hand. And a good left hook after a body jab. They clash and Bostwick lands a nice right in the phone-booth flurry. Lozano’s output has slowed noticeably. Nearly tosses a backhand, which again gets a warning from the ref. Lozano hits an uppercut, but not clean.
10-9 Bostwick
Round 4: Hook by Bostwick to open us up. Lozano throws a series, but I don’t think anything connected. They show the punch stats, and oddly enough, I’ve scored every round opposite of who landed the most each round. Lozano eats a good 1-2. Bostwick connects on a left.
10-9 Bostwick
Round 5: Lozano with a lead left. Slow pace here in the final round. Straight left by Lozano. Right to the body sends Lozano back. Bostwick gets in an overhand and a left. That overhand cut Lozano.
10-9 Bostwick
FINAL RESULT: Jake Bostwick def. Erick Lozano via decision, 50-45, 49-46 x2
Howard Davis vs. Eduardo Peralta
Round 1: Peralta in white, Davis in blue/white. Davis pot-shotting on the outside with his big reach advantage. Peralta closes the distance and swings, but loses his balance. Peralta gets hit with a jab and he drops himself down… and takes the ten count! That’s it! Replays show he got hit in the eye with a knuckle and that has to suck.
FINAL RESULT: Howard Davis def. Eduardo Peralta via KO, 1:36 of Round 1
Bryan Duran vs. Gilberto Aguilar
Round 1: Aguilar in white, Duran in green/blue. Duran with a 1-2 to start. They’re swinging. Duran landing clean with a right. Aguilar clinches and gets in a left. Duran with a right and a left also snaps Aguilar’s head back. Duran to the body. Aguilar responds with a counter.
10-9 Duran
Round 2: Aguilar plodding forward to open here. Both men to the body, now Duran switches to the head and lands solid. Aguilar misses a jab as the pace slows a bit. Duran with a hook. Clean right. Aguilar with a right that sends Duran’s mouthpiece out. Duran with a pair of rights at the bell
10-9 Duran
Round 3: Duran is definitely tiring, but it’s a case of will he tire out in time for Aguilar to capitalize on it. Aguilar is investing still in the shots to the body, while Duran counters heavy to the side of Aguilar’s head. Good left-right and Aguilar is wobbly – now he takes a knee to give himself time to clear his cobwebs. This was a better round for Aguilar until just now.
10-8 Duran
Round 4: And it’s stopped before the round.
FINAL RESULT: Bryan Duran def. Gilberto Aguilar via TKO, doctor stoppage, 2:00 of Round 3
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