Dubai, April 3, 2025: The World League of Fighters orchestrated the first official BKFC conference at the Burj Al Arab on 2nd of April, partnering with Dubai Sports Council to announce the championship’s Dubai debut. The prestigious gathering brought together WLF Co Founders Rajesh Banga and Sunil Mathew, Director of Dubai Sports Council Eisa Mohammed Sharif and BKFC Founder David Feldman. The press conference revealed plans for BKFC’s inaugural Emirates event at Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium on April 4 and April 5, establishing it as a key fixture in Dubai’s combat sports landscape and generating worldwide excitement
From L to R Dubai Sports Council Eisa Sharif, BKFC Founder David Feldman,Rajesh Banga Co Founder WLF.JPG
Sharing the enthusiasm on the journey with Dubai sports council that will shape BKFC as the next global event in Dubai, co-founders Rajesh Banga and Sunil Mathew of World League of Fighters stated, “It took us more than two years to bring it here because David has been instrumental in the growth of BKFC, which has become the fastest-growing combat sport in the world. We struggled to find the right calendar dates, but finally, we are here. We are extremely happy and ready to show that Dubai will be the best destination outside of America, thanks to our incredible partnership with David and BKFC.”
From L to R Jessica Borga, Austin Trout, Tai Emery,Sunil Mathew, Eisa Sharif, David Feldman,Rajesh Banga, Tommy Strydom, Kai Stewart,Britain Hart, Carlos Snake Trinidad,Hannah Rankin
The star-studded press conference brought together fighters from the two-day event, with April 4th featuring Carlos “Snake” Trinidad and Austin Trout headlining for the Welterweight championship. Adding to the excitement, BKFC’s trailblazing female Strawweight champion, Britain Hart, will take on Tai Emery in the women’s main event, fighting for the Strawweight Championship. Following on April 5th, Tommy Strydom will challenge Kai Stewart for Featherweight supremacy, while Hannah Rankin and Jessica Borga square off in the second main event of the weekend
Additional fighters from both April 4th and April 5th fight cards who attended the press conference included Sabah Homasi, Jonathan Tello, Aleksei Oleinik, Adel Al Tamimi, Vladislav Tuinov, Guto Inocente and John Philips
Adding heartfelt tribute to World League of Fighters and Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship, Director of Dubai Sports Council Eisa Mohammed Sharif shares, “We would like to thank World League of Fighters for bringing the BKFC event for the very first time in Dubai. I believe this combat sport is growing tremendously and we just want to see it grow here in the region, while we continue supporting it as Dubai Sports Council to witness the greatest fighters of all time to be here in Dubai and combat the challenge”
By leveraging Dubai’s proven infrastructure and governmental support systems, the forum addressed the global impact of combat sports in the Arab World and how Bare Knuckle seeks to value this support by introducing elite event opportunities for larger combat events in the future
Founder and President of Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship, David Feldman also added, “A huge thank you to the Dubai Sports Council and His Excellency for their support in this event. With four world title fights and 12,000 passionate fans, we are here to break record, that’s what we do. Everywhere we go, we set new milestones, and now, we’re ready to do the same in this beautiful city of Dubai. The energy here is incredible, and I couldn’t be more thrilled”
The World League of Fighters organization views Dubai’s receptive sporting environment as the ideal platform to elevate bare-knuckle fighting’s global profile. As presented by World League of Fighters in the conference, the platform aligns its priorities on offering world fighters and MMA enthusiasts the opportunity to experience Bare Knuckle Fighting under the roof of a globally renowned name in the world of combat sports. BKFC aims to contribute to the Emirate’s vision of becoming a global sports capital while creating sustainable pathways for world fighting development.