BKFC Announces World’s Baddest Man Tournament with $20 Million Prize Pool
- To shield inexperienced individuals seeking entry from harming themselves when lacking combat skills, admission will be denied.
- While the full group of 16 will feature in the broadcast, the primary spotlight will fall heavily on the final eight.
Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship is launching a $20 million tournament to find the World’s Baddest Man, featuring global open tryouts beginning later this month, according to promotion details.
BKFC Tournament Schedule and Locations
Dave Feldman’s promotion will hold open tryouts in Manchester, England, on September 24, just two days before BKFC 94 takes place in the same city on September 26. Additional tryouts are scheduled for Brisbane on October 1, Belgrade on October 15, Tampa on October 21, and Las Vegas on November 14.
Ultimately, 50 fighters weighing between 185 and 275 pounds will earn selection for the next phase of the competition. Following the global tryouts, those 50 fighters will advance to the One-Round Wars in Miami this December, where they will square off in a single-elimination round consisting of 25 two-minute fights, according to the promotion schedule.
From that group, 16 fighters alongside four to six alternates will advance to the Round of 16 in Philadelphia, scheduled for the first two weeks of February 2027. All eight winners will then secure a spot on the Live Finale fight card, which is slated for approximately July 26 through August 2, at a venue yet to be determined. Those eight finalists will compete for a share of the $20 million prize pool and lucrative BKFC contracts.
Fighter Selection and Rules
The tournament is designed to be widely accessible while maintaining strict safety standards for competitors.
It’s kind of open to anyone. Obviously, we are gonna weed through the people. To shield inexperienced individuals seeking entry from harming themselves when lacking combat skills, admission will be denied.
BKFC President Dave Feldman told Bloody Elbow
Feldman added that organizers will handpick 16 fighters viewed as potential contenders for the title of World’s Baddest Man to participate in the One-Round Wars.
Whoever wins, the eight guys will move on. While the full group of 16 will feature in the broadcast, the primary spotlight will fall heavily on the final eight. All eight of those guys are gonna come out of that tournament very wealthy men.
Dave Feldman
Secret Sign-Ups and Media Coverage
The $20 million prize purse has already drawn applications from several prominent fighters. While Feldman cannot legally disclose their identities due to confidentiality agreements built into the application forms, he noted that fans will recognize major superstar sign-ups, according to his interview with Bloody Elbow.
Applicants must still earn their place in the bracket regardless of their prior status. Organizers have pre-advanced two notable names straight into the final 16 because management believes they will add significant value to the show, though Feldman stressed that even those athletes must win their bouts to advance further.
Fans can follow the entire journey through a six-episode docu-series titled World’s Baddest Man, which will air on Fox Nation’s streaming platform starting in June 2027. The programming will culminate with a Live Event Finale broadcast on Fox Nation on July 31, 2027.