Written by BKFC president David Feldman is going home, and he’s bringing a local legend with him.
On Tuesday, BKFC announced the promotion’s first show in Philadelphia with former UFC champion Eddie Alvarez making his return to action against Jeremy Stephens in a featured bout set to take place at the Wells Fargo Center on Jan. 25. The card is officially dubbed BKFC KnuckleMania V.
Alvarez and Feldman are from Philadelphia so it’s a homecoming for both as the bare-knuckle promotion debuts in Pennsylvania after the state athletic commission there officially sanctioned the sport in 2023.
“That show’s going to be sick,” Feldman told MMA Fighting in September when announcing plans to take BKFC to Philadelphia. “It’s going to be unbelievable.
“It’s going to be the biggest moment of my professional career absolutely, that will be unbelievable.”
As for the fight announcement, Alvarez makes his third appearance in BKFC after signing with the promotion following stints in both the UFC and ONE Championship.
Alvarez made a successful debut with a win over fellow UFC veteran Chad Mendes but then came up short in his second appearance in a TKO loss to Mike Perry. Now Alvarez returns with hopes to put on as how in front of his hometown audience while fighting in Philadelphia for the first time in over 14 years.
As for Stephens, he’ll look to play spoiler after going 2-0 to start his bare-knuckle career with wins over Jimmie Rivera and Bobby Taylor.
More fights are expected to be announced for the BKFC Philadelphia card in the coming weeks with Feldman previously revealing plans to book Perry on the card in his first fight since falling to Jake Paul in a boxing match in July.