Looking for breakout stars from the new BKFC Ice Wars promotion? Jordan “the Warden” Christie is one good candidate. Meanwhile, the Laporte brothers — Nick and Will — seem to gather the most attention of all the fighters in the “hockey fights without hockey” promotion.
Hailing from North Bay, Ontario, twin brothers Nick and Will Laporte are both physical forces with huge frames. They will turn 36 on September 17. Nick (6-foot-6, 220 pounds) played minor league hockey in the Central Hockey League and Southern Pro Hockey League, among other circuits. He also played a season in the Czech minor leagues with SHK Hodonín, according to his Elite Prospects page. Will (also listed at 6-foot-2, 220 pounds) played minor league hockey both in the United States and Sweden.
Arguably, the Laporte brothers drew the biggest pops from the crowd at their Battle of the Border bouts earlier this summer. However, First nations fighter and hockey player Caitlin Big Snake also drew a particularly enthusiastic reception as he scored a knockout victory over Zach Hughes.
Both Laporte brothers won their first BKFC Ice Wars bouts by knockout. Last year, Nick made an appearance on the popular Shoresy hockey comedy series. Come October 10, he’ll headline the BKFCIW: Bare Knuckle Brawls card at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Florida (home of the Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers. He will take on Sébastien Lafferière (6-foot-2, 260 pounds), a still-active LNAH rugged winger.
Will, meanwhile, is now 2-0 in Ice Wars competition. He defeated the gargantuan A.J. Schlepp (6-foot-8, 250 pounds) by decision at the River Cree Rumble card in Enoch, Alberta.
Unlike the previous two Ice Wars events this year, the Amerant Bank Arena fights will take place on natural hockey ice rather than the synthetic “ice box” surface. Another major change: combatants will not wear MMA-style gloves. Instead, the fights will be bare-knuckle bouts (as they are when the gloves come off in a hockey fight).
Most BKFC Ice Wars fighters, like the Laporte brothers and Christie, come from hockey backgrounds. However, there a few combatants who came to the sport via mixed martial arts or boxing.
For their part, the Laporte brothers consider the chance to do battle at an NHL rink a dream come true. If the card at the Panthers arena is the success that the organizers hope it will, future events at NHL rinks and other pro hockey venues are in the works for the next year. Meanwhile, if Will and Nick Laporte keep winning their fights, look for one or both to continue holding headliner status.
