It was a rough 24 hours for Joey Beltran.
The former UFC heavyweight brawler, who also competed for Bellator MMA, nearly choked to death during breakfast just a few hours before his bareknuckle return for BKFC on Thursday night in Ft. Lauderdale.
Fortunately, BKFC head cheese David Feldman knew the Heimlich maneuver.
“[Watched] an old school Fear Factor video or something and I started laughing,” Beltran told TMZ Sports. “Next thing you know, I started choking. Of all people, the boss man had to come up and bust a Heimlich. Couple of pumps and I spit it out and I was all good. So, contrary to popular people, David Feldman cares about us fighters!”
Beltran, 40, has been with BKFC since its inception in 2018.
“We were actually just sitting there, I was having a conversation with one of my guys and he pointed and said, ‘Your main event’s choking,’ and I’m like, ‘What are you talking about?’” Feldman told MMA Fighting. “I turn around and I’m like, holy shit! He was choking. He was trying to cough it up but he wasn’t making any noise and he was actually starting to turn colors.”
Hopefully “The Mexicutioner” bought a lottery ticket right after the incident.
Beltran’s luck would run out later that night in what would mark his second straight loss under the BKFC banner, falling to fellow Bellator MMA veteran Frank Tate by way of first-round knockout in the BKFC: “Ft. Lauderdale” main event.
Watch the replay below:
Frank Tate put Beltran to sleep!! SHEESH! pic.twitter.com/OxfWXpEAqB
— Follow @FTB_VIDS (@FTB_VIDS) April 22, 2022
For complete BKFC results from last night click here.