Bare Knuckle Boxing likely to hit Middle East shores

By the Editorial Team · Sunday, July 26, 2026

Bare Knuckle Boxing (BKB) plans to expand its presence in the Middle East, targeting key markets like Saudi Arabia and the UAE following its successful event in Dubai. This move reflects BKB’s broader strategy to grow globally through accessible broadcasting, innovative digital partnerships, and attracting top fighting talent.

Bare Knuckle Boxing (BKB), a rapidly growing combat sport franchise, is poised to expand its presence to the Middle East in the near future, according to Loren Mack, BKB’s chief marketing officer and executive vice president of strategy. The sport, which recently held an event at London’s O2 Arena featuring heavyweight Mick Terrill and debut fights by the Vargas brothers, has seen significant growth in both live viewership and digital engagement.

BKB has already made initial inroads into the Gulf region, having hosted BYB 16: Desert Brawl in Dubai. Mack emphasized that the organization’s return to the Middle East is not a matter of if, but when. He pointed to the increasing role of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates as major international markets for combat sports and entertainment as a key factor in BKB’s regional ambitions.

“Saudi Arabia continues to attract some of the world’s largest boxing and mixed martial arts events, making it a natural future location for BKB,” Mack said. He described bare-knuckle boxing as one of the fastest-growing sectors within combat sports and underscored BKB’s commitment to establishing a truly global footprint, having already expanded across the United States, Europe, and Mexico.

Unlike some combat sports promotions that rely heavily on pay-per-view and proprietary streaming platforms, BKB distinguishes itself through widespread broadcast accessibility. The sport is carried on networks including VICE TV in the US and Canada, talkSPORT in the UK and Ireland, and Telemundo Deportes Ahora for Spanish-speaking audiences in the US, broadening its reach to multiple countries and language markets.

Mack further highlighted BKB’s strategy of leveraging social media platforms to broaden its audience base. In June, BKB made history by partnering with TikTok to stream BKB 55, which became the most-viewed live sports event in TikTok’s history, setting new records for watch time and engagement.

This emphasis on digital engagement and global media distribution reflects BKB’s broader approach to growing the sport beyond traditional viewing formats. Mack stated that social media is not just a promotional tool but a key distribution platform, enabling the sport to connect with younger, digitally native fans.

BKB was founded in 2018 and has positioned itself as a challenger within the bare-knuckle boxing landscape, aiming to build on the groundwork laid by earlier organizations like the Bare-Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC). BKFC was instrumental in introducing the sport to a wider audience, but Mack believes BKB is pushing the sport to new levels through international expansion, innovative media partnerships, and a focus on talent acquisition.

Underlying this growth is an experienced leadership team with deep ties to global sports and media industries. Mack himself brings experience from major organizations including ONE Championship and the Saudi Arabia-supported Professional Fighters League.

From a competitive standpoint, BKB continues to build a strong roster of fighters, positioning the promotion as a key destination for elite talent seeking new opportunities. According to Mack, the evolving global landscape of combat sports and BKB’s expanded reach position it well for sustained growth in coming years, both in established markets and emerging regions like the Middle East.

This article was reported by synthesizing coverage from multiple independent news outlets to present a balanced, unbiased account. Read about our editorial standards. Spotted an error? Let us know.