BKFC brawler ‘Rowdy’ Bec Rawlings is more than happy to take credit for the explosion of combat sports athletes finding financial success on OnlyFans.
Rawlings has made a career for herself competing in multiple major combat sports organizations, including Invicta FC, the UFC, and most recently, Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship. However, she found herself in a bit of a bind during the COVID-19 pandemic when the world shut down, leaving her stuck in Australia with few options for a reliable income. Determined to stay afloat, Rawlings decided to test out her earning potential on the popular subscription-based site.
Three short years later, OnlyFans has become synonymous with the combat sports community. Fighters such as Paige VanZant, Felice Herrig, Pearl Gonzalez, Ailin Perez, and Jessica Penne have found a great deal of success baring their assets for thirsty fans willing to pay a monthly fee.
But it’s no longer limited to the photogenic female fighters in the sport. Heavyweight GOAT Stipe Miocic and the Professional Fighters League have launched their own OnlyFans accounts, giving fans exclusive access to training videos and insight into the fight game.
“It’s f*cking cool,” Rawlings told MMA Fighting. “Like when I saw Floyd Mayweather walk out with a hat with an OnlyFans logo on it, I was like, this is f*cking cool. It’s even hit boxing! I’ve never really looked at it that way, I don’t like to blow smoke up my own ass, but I definitely was a trailblazer now that you mention it.”
Despite the booming success, there remains a stigma surrounding athletes who embrace the seedier side of OnlyFans, but none that was a concern for Rawlings.
“Myself and Jessica Penne were just talking earlier, we were the f*cking OG’s of that sh*t,” Rawlings said. “We were the first fighters to take that f*cking leap and sign up and promote it, and everyone was like, ‘Are they doing porn?’ Or, ‘that’s risky,’ this or that. We’re like no, it doesn’t have to be porn. It can be f*cking mainstream sh*t, too, it’s just exclusive content. Now, every fighter and their f*cking dog are on OnlyFans.”
Bec Rawlings is Ready to Toe The Line at BKFC 56
On December 2, Bec Rawlings will make her long-awaited return to the squared circle at BKFC 56 for a flyweight title fight with reigning champion Christine Ferea. By the time she toes the line in Salt Lake City, it will have been seven months since her last appearance with the promotion. In the meantime, ‘Rowdy’ has continued to live a life of financial security thanks to OnlyFans.
“It’s definitely helped me pay the bills and stay on top, especially when I only fight twice a year this year,” Rawlings said. “So yeah, it’s been great, and it’s nice to be able to connect with fans on another level, and not so much on Instagram, and be able to put out exclusive content and talk to people. A bit more personable.
“I’ve always kind of been fighter Bec I guess on Instagram and Facebook, and on OnlyFans, you see a different side of me. I’m still enjoying it. I’m still on there live and popping on there.”
Christine Ferea is putting her championship on the line as she faces Rowdy Bec Rawlings in the rematch everyone has been waiting for! Watch live at BKFC 56 on Saturday starting at 9PM EST! (Sound On
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Order Here: https://t.co/AYRDlGLWML pic.twitter.com/edsdmodN4x
— Bare Knuckle FC (@bareknucklefc) November 28, 2023
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Rawlings’ fight with Ferea will be a rematch of their BKFC 41 clash in April. After two highly entertaining rounds of back-and-forth action, the bout was stopped by the ringside doctors after ‘Rowdy’ sustained a significant cut on her eyebrow.
It was an undeniably frustrating finish for Rawlings who found a fair amount of success against Ferea, a fighter known for steamrolling her competition over the last five years.
“I think it’s easy to look dominant and look like a bully when the caliber of fighters you’re fighting aren’t that great,” Rawlings said about Ferea. “I’ve traveled the world and fought the best around the world for a long time. That doesn’t work on me. You’re not going to intimidate me. You’re not going to bully me.
“I definitely think that my style versus her style is a good matchup, and it proved to be a good matchup in the first fight. I just think I’m technically better, and if all she has is toughness and aggression, I have that, too. So you’ve got to bring something else to the table. I think I’m just going to outwork her. I’m going to out skill her. I’m more technical. I’m more of a sharpshooter, and I’m obviously not going to let her bully me like I didn’t the last time either. It’s going to make a good fight.”