Buakaw Banchamek won his Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) debut against Erkan Varol at BKFC Thailand 3.
Muay Thai legend Buakaw made headlines earlier this year after he inked an unexpected deal with BKFC. As one of the most decorated Muay Thai fighters, there was no doubt Banchamek could hold his own in the striking-based sport. He exceeded expectations by scoring a knockout in his first showing.
Buakaw wins BKFC debut with a violent body shot KO
Banchamek took on Varol in a 155-pound bare-knuckle boxing match at the famous Rajadamnern Stadium in Bangkok. He kept his composure and looked to find the right openings early in the outing before landing a huge body shot that visibly shook Varol. The Turkey native tried to battle it out but had no answer for the relentless pressure from the Thai. Buakaw let on an onslaught of body shots on Varol to send him down to the mat.
Buakaw secured a first-round knockout victory in his debut when Varol could not get up in time.
A vicious left uppercut thrown by Banchamek to Varol’s kidney appeared to have drawn a painful reaction from him, suggesting that he could have possibly broken his hand or suffered an injury.
Following the news of Banchamek going to bare-knuckle boxing, fellow Thai legend Saenchai Saepong followed in his footsteps and signed a deal with the promotion. With Banchamek putting on a sensational performance, it will be interesting to see how Saenchai, another prolific striker, will fare without gloves in bare-knuckle boxing. He will join the new sport as a 42-year-old grizzled May Thai veteran. BKFC has turned out to be a home for former UFC fighters and is now gaining more attention than ever with its new talent.
Check out the highlights below:
It's main event time on #FITE!#Buakaw and Erkan Varol have knuckled up and are ready to throwdown!#BKFCThailand3 ▶️ https://t.co/w4RyUpe4gE pic.twitter.com/qgEtUz21kv
— TrillerTV (@FiteTV) September 3, 2022
