BYB Extreme returns to Cardiff this Saturday 1 February.
It’s the promotion’s first visit to Wales’s largest city after a sellout debut for BYB 30 last August.
Once again, Vale Arena hosts the hostilities, with the fight card featuring both established talent and the next generation of Welsh bare knuckle stars.
Barries Back
Welsh bare knuckle legend Barrie Jones makes his Mighty Trigon return in the main event.
“The Welsh Wrecking Machine” looks for redemption after a humbling stoppage loss to super middleweight king LT Nelson last August. The loss was the first for Jones after 10 straight wins to start his career.
Jones spoke of retirement after the Nelson loss. He’s reconsidered, and climbs in weight to challenge newly crowned BYB Police Gazette Light Heavyweight champ Gregoris Cisneros.
Dangerous Hombre
The enigmatic Cisneros makes his first title defence after wresting the belt from Cub Hawkins last August in an all-out war.
Cisneros hit the canvas twice against Hawkins, but also knocked the former champion down around a half dozen times before the fight was stopped in the fifth round.
The ability to rise from the canvas and devastate opponents are constants in Cisneros’s brief bare knuckle career (4-1, 3 KOs).
He was also down against former title challenger and BYB legend Rene Rodriguez before knocking “Whiteboy” out in spectacular fashion.
One concern with Cisneros is his bad habit of hitting a downed opponent. He was disqualified against Rynell Riley for the infraction, and committed the same foul in a subsequent match after the Riley loss.
He’ll need to keep his emotions in check facing Jones in a hostile arena.
Jones has the better boxing pedigree but Cisneros is probably the harder one-punch hitter, and his self belief must be sky high after the impressive performance against Hawkins. It’s an intriguing matchup between science and savagery, and the fight almost certainly won’t last the distance.
Heavyweights in Action
Two heavyweight bouts take place at BYB 36, with separate matches featuring a veteran and rising prospect.
Former pro boxer and fan favourite Dorian Darch (1-4) takes on Gary Slator (1-0), while impressive newcomer Troy Palmer(2-0) meets Volodymyr Skurtu (1-1).
Darch looks for his first bare knuckle win in nearly four years. He’s been jinxed by sensitive facial tissue, with cuts leading to his four bare knuckle defeats.
In his last bout, Darch knocked Skurtu down before an unlucky cut to his ear led to a TKO loss. His opponent Slator makes his BYB debut after a first-round demolition of Rob Cunningham in BKFC last June.
Palmer has started his bare knuckle career with two consecutive first-round stoppage wins. Skurtu was demolished by Kamil Sokolowski before his fluke win over Darch. Palmer shouldn’t have too many troubles with the Ukrainian, and may end matters in the first round.
BYB 36: Other Bouts
Hot prospect Kallum Skhane (1-0, 1 KO) meets former title challenger Joe Fitzpatrick in a crossroads match. Skhane shined in an impressive stoppage win against Ryan Meer in his debut.
Fitzpatrick is coming off an unsuccessful challenge for the BYB Police Gazette Junior Welterweight Title. The Northern Ireland fighter was stopped by a body shot against current champion Harry Gigliotti.
UFC veteran Jack Marshman (1-0) looks for his second win against the more experienced Alex Wilson (2-1). Marshman made quick work of Carl Craig in Cardiff last August, stopping him in the first round.
Wilson had been inactive after losing his debut to Will Cairns in August 2021. The bare knuckle bug bit Wilson again, and he returned last year with stoppage wins against Paul Wardingham and Matthew Morton.
Ashley Brace will make an anticipated BYB debut. Brace is an accomplished female boxer who retired undefeated She makes her combat sports return in the Trigon against Bianca Daimoni, also making her debut.
Keiron Harding also debuts against BKB and BYB veteran Jonny Lawson, coming off a points loss to fellow vet Paul “The Soul Snatcher” Hilz.
BKB veteran Steve Evans returns to bare knuckle in his native Wales against Steven Rouke (1-0), a chartered accountant. Evans gets a chance to do what many dream of: punch an accountant in the face without fear of sanction.
BYB 36: How to Watch
If you’re going to be in the Cardiff area Saturday, a limited amount of tickets are still available through Eventbrite.
If you can’t make it to Vale Arena, you can still watch BYB 36 via live PPV stream at BKB World TV. The pay-per-view is just £12.99 for UK viewers, with the broadcast beginning at 5pm UK time.
