Former BKB star Tyler Goodjohn has signed a contract with BYB Extreme. “El Tornado” announced the news on his new Instagram page today.
“I’m really happy to announce I’ve just signed my promotional agreement with BYB,” Goodjohn said.
I want to take this time to thank Jim and Joe and Mike Vazquez for this massive opportunity,” he said, referring to BYB Europe executives Jim Freeman and Joe Brown and the BYB Extreme owner.
“I know we’ve had some cross words in the past but we’re all grown-ups. We’re all very much willing to put that behind us and crack on with the future,” said Goodjohn.
“I’m super excited to get myself in that triangle ring. You truly are gonna see ‘El Tornado’ back at his very best.”
“We all know the fight we wanna see.”
Tyler Goodjohn vs Scott McHugh in the Works?
The fight Goodjohn referred to is a match against former BKB champion Scott “The Mute” McHugh. The two fighters have traded insults and issued challenges, but the fight has never happened.
McHugh has recently competed for BYB. With Goodjohn joining the league, the fight has a better chance of happening. It’s a marketable fight given their rivalry. Goodjohn remains one of the UK’s biggest bare knuckle stars, with his fights generating over 3 million views on YouTube and having been the subject of a documentary.
The Wild World of Tyler Goodjohn
A former English Super Lightweight Champion, Goodjohn debuted in BKB with a decision win over Scotland’s Tony Lafferty.
Goodjohn defeated Marc Navarro in his next BKB bout, and was then matched with Sean George. Goodjohn defeated George in a seven-round classic, rising from an early knockdown.
The win over legend George earned Goodjohn a matchup with another legend, top BKB fighter Jimmy Sweeney. The bout, scheduled for April 2020, didn’t happen because of the Coronavirus pandemic.
Months later, Goodjohn announced his retirement from bare knuckle to become a porn star.
Goodjohn’s adult career last long. He signed with BKFC, debuting with a unanimous decision win against Charles Bennett in December 2020.
Goodjohn challenged for the BKFC Lightweight Title in his next bout, losing a unanimous decision to then-champion Luis Palomino.
BKFC debuted in the UK at Wembley Arena in August 2022. Returning after a 14-month layoff, Goodjohn lost a unanimous decison to Wales’s James Lilley in an exciting hard-fought battle.
Goodjohn then lost to unbeaten prospect Tony Soto by unanimous decision in his final BKFC appearance in May 2023. It was a close, competitive bout with Goodjohn believing he did enough to win.
A New Chapter
After the Soto loss, Goodjohn returned to professional boxing. He faced unbeaten Filipino knockout artist Weljon Mindoro. Goodjohn fought aggressively, but was caught and stopped in the second round by the hard-punching prospect.
“El Tornado” then left his adopted hometown of Miami, where he had been training with Team Palomino. He returned to the UK and is now starting a new chapter in his bare knuckle career with BYB, who acquired BKB last year.
Just 33, Goodjohn should have something left in the tank. BYB has a number of talented fighters in Goodjohn’s weight range, including super welterweight champ Liam Rees and super middleweight king LT Nelson.
At times, his most difficult opponent has been himself. He’s had promotional disputes in the past, and badmouthed both BKB and BKFC on social media. Hopefully, he’ll do his talking in the Trigon, and rebuild his brand and legacy in the bare knuckle ring.
