In one weeks time two of the most popular names in UK bare knuckle headline the BP Pulse LIVE arena in Birmingham for Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship 77. Connor Tierney 8-2(3 KOs) defends his BKFC UK welterweight championship against veteran Danny ‘The Bastard’ Christie 6-2 (4 KOs) when they top the bill of a stacked card full of boxing and MMA veterans and a UK light heavyweight title fight between Marley Churcher 3-3(2 KOs) and Anthony Holmes 5-2-1( 3 KOs).
THE CHAMPION:
Connor ‘The Brum Town Bomber’ Tierney has seen a significant rise in popularity within the last few years and along this rise he picked up the UK welterweight in his last outing against Jonny Graham. After a sixteen month lay off Tierney picked up the gold with a unanimous decision win in Coventry just 26 miles from his home city of Birmingham.
Speaking in a recent interview with Bare Knuckle News UKs partner channel FullForceCombat the 30 year old was asked if his title win in the neighbour city was a sample of what’s to come at BKFC 77. “You know what? It’s mad because I done nearly 300 tickets in Coventry and that was on the back of a sixteen month lay off and losing previously before that, so to come back now as a champion selling copious amounts of tickets and doing it in my hometown of Birmingham it’s just surreal!”
Tierney is now the highest grossing ticket seller in BKFC UK history and after essentially fighting bare knuckle for free not too long ago he said “to look back at where I’ve come from, fighting on the prelims in the indigo at the o2 always wanting that top spot and knowing I have the ability to do it, I look at myself now and think I’ve made it and I’m still not even there yet really, the journey is just starting because there are so many massive opportunities to take, I’ve just got to keep winning and keep being the champion.”
With 22 years of boxing experience, 48 amateur bouts, and even a bit of white-collar grit thrown in, Connor isn’t new to the fight game – he’s true to it. He’s been trading leather since he was a kid and now stands as one of the most decorated and respected names in the UK bare-knuckle scene.
His bare-knuckle journey started in 2019, and since then he’s racked up 10 wars across the BKB and BKFC . That includes becoming a 2 Fight, 1 Night Prizefighter Champion, BKB World Champion, and now the reigning BKFC UK Champion.
And now comes the dream defending his title in his hometown of Birmingham, in front of his people, against Danny “The Bastard” Christie at The Pulse Live Arena. This isn’t just another fight this is the moment every fighter dreams of. Main event. Home turf. Big lights. Real pressure. The King returns to the capital of the Midlands to prove exactly why the crown belongs to him.
At just 30 years of age, Tierney’s already done it all and he’s still got plenty left in the tank. The sharp hands, the movement, the mindset, it’s all dialled in and let’s not forget he’s at the holy grail for bare knuckle gyms in Europe down at fitness factory … that place is crammed with insane talent.
THE CHALLENGER:
Every hometown superstar needs a good dance partner and there’s nobody better than UK bare knuckle stalwart Danny ‘The Bastard’ Christie . The former BKFC middleweight world title challenger is relishing the challenge and told FullForceCombat “I accepted this fight immediately then I rang Connor up and we had a bit of a laugh on the phone and we said yeah let’s do it! This is a business and we do this for own own careers and our own bank accounts but moreover we do it for the fans and the followers of the BKFC”
At forty years of age the man from Carlisle isn’t too sure whether this will be his last dance or not despite being offered a multi-fight deal with the BKFC. When speaking on the matter he explained “I’ve removed all expectations from this fight and from the multi fight deal, I could have that deal in the morning if I wanted it but I need to see how I feel in there with a formidable champion like Connor, if I can give him a good fight and dump him on his arse a few times, which I think is what’s going to happen then I’ll be happy but no matter what happens I’m going to be happy for Connor, if he can switch me off in the first round, I’ll wake up and I’ll go over and embrace him because I know what it will mean to him”
Now he’s one of the biggest faces in British combat but the rise of Danny “The Bastard” Christie didn’t come from boardrooms or press conferences. It came through pain, blood, and pure survival instinct.
Before all this, Danny was walking a path that nearly killed him. Not just once. He’s looked death square in the face stabbed, shot, and dragged through hell more times than anyone should live through. He’s not just battle tested he’s trauma-tested. Life didn’t hand him a fighting career, it tried to take his life… and he fought back.
It was the now infamous Decca Heggie fight that lit the spark, a violent, viral scrap that made people stop and take notice. He didn’t have promoters backing him or cameras hyping him up he earned every bit of attention by going toe-to-toe and giving it everything. That fight cracked open the door to BKFC, and Danny kicked it off the hinges.
Since then, he’s been through absolute wars in the squared circle. No handouts. No easy touches. He’s fought killers, took damage, gave it back, and still walked forward smiling through the blood. That’s The Bastard.
And now, he’s found God. That might shock some people. But it’s real. It’s grounded him. Given him purpose. You have got to respect it not just because it’s rare but because it’s hard. It takes a serious man to turn his life around like that. Especially after what he’s been through.
So now he walks into Connor “The Brumtown Bomber” Tierney’s backyard challenging the reigning British champion, in front of a packed out Birmingham crowd. On paper, it’s the slick boxer vs. the rough brawler. But if you think this is just a style match-up, you’ve missed the point.
An intriguing match up that has fans and fighters split on who’s hand they think will be raised at the end of the evening. But one thing that is guaranteed is and that’s entertainment, not just from the two men in the main event but from a whole host of combat sports legends on the undercard such as former gloved professionals Jamie Cox and Frankie Gavin who are joined by mixed martial arts legend ‘Judo’ Jimmy Wallhead.
Full Undercard:
