Back in March, Dave Feldman’s Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) promotion officially partnered with Charlie Nama’s Ice Wars to form BKFC Ice Wars (BKFCIW). Below are two upcoming events of interest to fans of the fast-rising combat sports. BKFC fights resemble boxing matches (minus the gloves), while Ice Wars resemble hockey fights with a roster of former (sometimes still active in minor league or semi-pro) hockey players.
Following is some information on upcoming BKFC and BKFC events.
BKFCIW Battle of the Border
The debut event for BKFC Ice Wars will be held on June 14, 2025, at the Soaring Eagle Casino and Resort in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. Dubbed “Battle of the Border”, the card starts at 8:00 p.m. EDT. The 12-fight event pits U.S.-based combatants against counterparts from Canada in the same weight categories.
The bouts take place in the “Ice Box”: a 900-square foot ice enclosure designed specifically for ice fighting. The combatants wear standard hockey gear (jerseys, helmets, etc.) plus four-ounce MMA-style gloves. Bouts contain at least three 90-second rounds with a maximum of five rounds. There is a one-minute rest period between rounds.
As with ice hockey, there are two referees present. One referee serves as the lead official and is the sole aribiter of the bout. If there is no winner after three rounds, a panel of three judges will decide the winner. Scoring is based on the entire fight (rather than round-by-round).
The weight classes: heavyweight (over 200 lbs.), cruiserweight (175 to 200 lbs.), middleweight (150 to 175 lbs.) and lightweight (under 150 lbs.).
BKFC Returns to Philadelphia
Bare Knuckle Fighting Championships is based out of Philadelphia. Feldman himself is a Philly native. Back in January, the Wells Fargo Center hosted Knucklemania V and drew 19,000 fans. During the proceedings, there was a special ceremony honoring Flyers Alumni Dave “The Hammer” Schultz, Joe Watson and Jimmy Watson.
BKFC will return to South Philadelphia on July 25, 2025, at 6 p.m. EDT. The card will be held at 2300 Arena (the former ECW Arena) at 2300 South Swanson Street. Tickets go on sale on June 10 at 10 a.m. EDT.
