Anyone who enters the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) squared circle had best be on their guard, and that includes the referee.
Last night (Fri., June 21, 2024), Keith Richardson (4-1) aimed to defend his Bantamweight BKFC belt opposite challenger Alberto Blas (6-0) in the co-main event of BKFC 62 from Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida. Unfortunately for “Rockstar,” it didn’t play out that way.
Blas started strong, hurting Richardson early and continuing to pour on the punishment. Midway through the first round, Richardson was out on his feet, and referee Samuel Burgos intervened. If any proof was needed that Richardson was no longer intelligently defending himself, the next few seconds should serve as solid evidence!
After Burgos saved him, a dazed Richardson continued instinctively fighting on, swinging in combination at the referee. It didn’t seem like anything connected too cleanly, but he got off a fair few swings before cornermen and officials swarmed the ring and halted the chaos. A scary situation, but it seems as though no lasting damage was done.
At the post-fight press conference, the former champion was able to address the incident. He joked, “It’s been a long time since I’ve taken an L. Might just regroup and take another shot at the ref. Y’all saved him, he didn’t want it!”
Keith Richardson jokes about instinctively fighting the ref at BKFC 62
“It’s been a long time since I’ve taken an L, I’ll regroup and might take another shot at that ref. He didn’t want it, y’all saved him” #BKFC62 #BKFC pic.twitter.com/lLO6C1NRmN
— FULL SEND MMA (@full_send_mma) June 22, 2024