Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) returns this Saturday with Artem Lobov and Jason Knight making their promotional debuts in the main event of BKFC 5. Although the two are set to headline the card, the pre-fight discourse has been dominated by Lobov and Paulie Malignaggi’s potential fight.
With all the buzz surrounding a potential Lobov vs. Malignaggi fight, Knight thinks Lobov is looking past him and that this will be a mistake for Lobov.
“I don’t think he is overlooking me,” Knight said to BJPENN.com. “But, I think he is looking past me. I know he is training hard but if he is overlooking me then it is stupid for him. I haven’t thought about it too much. I’m just focusing on Artem right now. After that, I am going to start hitting jiu-jitsu tournaments and start working towards my black belt. Right now the focus is on Artem.”
Knight says his training camp has been much easier than before. He doesn’t have to worry about grappling, and can just focus on his boxing. Knight says that has resulted in a better standup game, and he’s feeling ready to pick Lobov apart on Saturday night.
“It has been awesome. My stand up has really really improved and my head work and foot movement have improved,” he said. “Those are the biggest improvements. And, it is so much easier to just focus on one thing.”
Lobov has come out and said he will knock out Knight in the first or possibly the second round. However, Knight isn’t buying that. He is more than confident he will beat Lobov and ruin the potential Malignaggi fight.
“I think Artem Lobov doesn’t know shit about Jason Knight,” he explained. “I’ve watched his fights, he is tough, and I am not going to tell you I am going to smash him because he is tough. He is going to march forward and we are going to put on a show. But, if he thinks he is going to knock me out he is f****d up. I promise if he somehow rocks me I will recover. But, he will not rock me.
“I have worked my ass off on my head movement and footwork. I see me going out there and fighting a smart fight,” he continued. “Just stay calm, and using my angles to pick Artem a part. He is going to try and knock me out but he is not ready for my skills.”
In the end, Knight is back home in Mississippi ready to headline a card so close to home. He knows he will have the crowd behind him and is ready to put on a show for his fans.
“I think it is pretty awesome. It isn’t just so much about how big of a card it is,” Knight concluded. “It really is that they are fighting in my hometown. This is where I fought since I was 14. I have a lot of fans that have backed me and will support. I know I will put on a hell of a show for my fans.”
This article first appeared on BJPENN.COM on 4/4/2019.