Undefeated Bryce Henry Meets Clay Collard in BKFC-97 Main Event This December

HOLLYWOOD, Fla. — Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) is returning to one of its most dependable stomping grounds next month, headlined by a high-stakes welterweight clash between undefeated local favorite Bryce Henry and combat sports veteran Clay Collard.

Scheduled for Friday, December 11, at Hard Rock Live in Hollywood, Florida, BKFC-97 marks the promotion’s 18th appearance at the venue—where it has sold out 16 consecutive events. Tickets for the card are currently on sale through BKFC.com.

The Main Event: Rising Star vs. Battle-Tested Veteran

Top-ranked welterweight contender Bryce "Baby Yaga" Henry (8-0), fighting out of nearby Oakland Park, Florida,enters the Squared Circle looking to cap off an active and dominant 2026 campaign. The bout marks Henry's third appearance of the year, following back-to-back wins at Mohegan Sun over former welterweight champion Julian Lane in June and a second-round knockout of Carlos Trinidad-Snake in August.

Standing across from him is Las Vegas native "Cassius" Clay Collard (1-0). A well-traveled veteran who brings a 25-15 professional MMA record and a 9-6-3 pro boxing ledger into bare-knuckle competition, Collard made an immediate impression in his promotional debut at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in August, stopping BKFC veteran Daniel Keepers via third-round knockout.

"Bryce Henry is one of our fastest rising young stars, but Clay Collard has been successful in all disciplines of combat sports and made a very big statement in his BKFC debut at Sturgis with a blistering third-round knockout," BKFC Founder and President David Feldman said in a statement announcing the card.

Co-Main Event and Featured Bouts

The undercard features several former champions, title challengers, and notable combat sports crossovers:

• Welterweight Co-Main Event: Former BKFC Welterweight World Champion Gorjan "GoGo" Slaveski (8-1)of Macedonia squares off against Atlanta's Joe "The Hitman" Elmore (2-5).
• Women’s Flyweight: Former UFC contender Jessica Eye of Las Vegas makes her second appearance for the promotion against an opponent to be named.
• Lightweight: Former welterweight titleholder Elvin "El Bandito" Brito (7-8) of Gulf Breeze, Florida, meets former world title challenger Howard "HD" Davis (8-4-1) of Plantation, Florida, in an all-Sunshine State matchup.
• Welterweight: Turkey's Murat "Lord Pitbull" Kazgan (2-2) faces Israel "The Rooster" Rodriguez (0-1) of Amarillo, Texas.
• Middleweight: Unbeaten Miami prospect Leo Acanda (1-0) takes on Justin Walters (1-3) of Winchester,Kentucky.
• Ironweight: Brandon Alfano (1-0) looks to protect his undefeated record against Alex Davis (1-3).

Additional matchups for the December 11 card are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.

How to Watch and Attend

Hard Rock Live (1 Seminole Way, Hollywood, FL 33314) will open its doors at 6:30 p.m. EST, with the opening bell scheduled for 7:00 p.m. EST.

For fans watching from home, the event will stream live internationally via the BKFC App as part of the BKFC+ subscription ($7.99/month). Fans can also catch BKFC programming on Fubo Sports Network, available through Fubo subscription packages as well as free ad-supported streaming platforms including Amazon Prime Video, Hulu + Live TV, The Roku Channel, Tubi, Samsung TV Plus, Pluto TV, and Plex.