BKFC Announces Blockbuster BKFC-99 in Sheffield Headlined by Bonner vs. Franco Title Clash

World & European Gold on the Line

“Over the last four years we’ve promoted outstanding sold-out events all over the continent, and we’re thrilled to bring an explosive card headlined by these two can’t-miss fights to the Utilita Arena in Sheffield,” said David Feldman, Founder and President of BKFC. “These two title fights feature four of the toughest bare-knuckle warriors in the world and promise intense action from the opening bell. We just sold out in Manchester with almost 16,000 in attendance, and last Saturday night we sold out Glasgow with over 10,000, so I strongly encourage fans to purchase tickets in advance for our first event in Sheffield.”

Path to the Main Event

• Ben Bonner enters as one of the promotion's premier pound-for-pound names. In his most recent outing, Bonner captured undisputed lightweight gold at the sold-out Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, halting undefeated two-division champion Austin Trout inside two rounds. His résumé also includes two Fight of the Year candidate victories over Tony Soto—the first securing him the interim world title—alongside first-round finishes of Lewis Keen, Ray Putterill, and Jamie Oldfield.
• Rico Franco arrives on the heels of a dominant second-round stoppage over Conor Tierney in Birmingham. A hardened veteran of the squared circle, Franco previously defeated Jimmy Sweeney in a grueling six-round thriller and boasts knockout stoppages over Kaleb Harris, Axel Birbes, and Darren Godfrey.

Co-Feature Highlights

• Jimmy Sweeney remains an icon across international bare-knuckle competition, rebounding into title contention after stopping Nicholas Vescio in round two at BKFC-91.
• James Lilley squares off against Sweeney following a second-round finish of Fran Suarez at BKFC-77. Lilley previously pushed pound-for-pound stalwart Luis Palomino to the wire in a world championship challenge and holds signature wins against Bobby Taylor, Tyler Goodjohn, and Adam Pellarano.

Event Details & How to Watch