Paige VanZant vs Rachael Ostovich undercard features Blueface vs Kane Trujillo
Paige VanZant will face fellow ex-UFC star Rachael Ostovich on Friday night at BKFC 19 in what will be one of the biggest bare-knuckle fight nights in the last few years.
And while attention will be keenly focused on the main event, which pits two UFC-level competitors against each other in one of the most brutal sporting arenas that is currently sanctioned, there will also be a new audience watching.
The card will feature three 'platform bouts', which feature influencers from the worlds of music, YouTube and TikTok squaring off in their fighting debuts.
Social media boxing has become a popular trend ever since YouTubers KSI and Joe Weller fought at a massive fight night in London three years ago, and has spawned the fight careers of Jake and Logan Paul, as well as a number of others.
And while the event will be promoted by Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship, it appears that the influencers will be wearing gloves, and may even also put on head gear.
Here are all of the big fights you need to know about…
Paige VanZant vs Rachael Ostovich
These two have already fought in the octagon, with VanZant winning their 2019 meeting via armbar in the second round on the promotion's first card broadcast on ESPN+.
But with no fear of the fight going to the ground, this is going to be a very different athletic competition, that could favour Ostovich in the long run.
The pair are two of the most sought after female fighters in the world, with VanZant boasting millions of social media followers while Ostovich also has a massive fanbase.
Blueface vs Kane Trujillo
Rapper Blueface is one of the hottest up-and-coming music superstars in the world, and he will risk his image when he faces off with Tik Tok star Kane Trujillo.
The social media star has over 3million followers across his platforms, while Blueface, real name Tom Porter, is known for his music, which includes the top 10 hit Thotiana with Cardi B and YG in 2019.
He has a sizable following on TikTok himself, with around 8million followers to his credit, and with his size advantage, he is expected to prove too much for Trujillo.
The rapper is expected to perform at the Rolling Loud music festival in Miami this weekend, while his Tik Tokker opponent does appear through social media to be more focused on his training.
Nick Ireland vs DK Money
YouTube star Nick Ireland was almost on the Social Gloves card last month, but instead main eventer Austin McBroom's brother-in-law Ryan Johnston got the spot.
Ireland face Johnston in a behind-closed-doors scrap that was caught on camera, and appeared to get the better of the early exchanges, but he couldn't land a spot on the event.
Instead he will face Tik Tok star DK Money in a 'platform bout' this Friday night that based on the limited footage appears to be going the way of Ireland.
Evil Hero vs Dakota Olave
Dakota Olave appears to have the largest following of any of the fighters, with 8.8m on his TikTok and over 141,000 on Instagram.
It remains to be seen how good he is in the ring, but he will face 'Evil Hero' in both men's first boxing match.
Evil Hero has been attempting to get under Olave's skin with underhanded comments on social media, and this may be the most heated encounter on the card.
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