Is Bare Knuckle Boxing Stealing Kickboxing’s Spotlight?
Over the past few years, combat sports have seen a surprising shift in fan attention and one discipline that’s rapidly gaining momentum is bare knuckle boxing. Once dismissed as a niche or novelty, promotions like BKFC (Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship) are now regularly trending online, selling out arenas, and drawing crossover talent from MMA and boxing. But as bare knuckle boxing rises in popularity, a growing question emerges: is it stealing the spotlight from kickboxing?
Kickboxing, despite its deep roots in combat sports culture and legendary fighters like Ernesto Hoost and Buakaw Banchamek, has long struggled to maintain consistent mainstream appeal, especially in Western markets. Prominent organizations like Glory Kickboxing and ONE Championship’s kickboxing division have done their part to keep the sport alive, but many fans and fighters say it’s been overshadowed by the flashier appeal of MMA and now the raw intensity of bare knuckle bouts.
SHOP: The Kickboxer Collection
Bare knuckle fighting offers something kickboxing can’t—unfiltered brutality and shorter fights with explosive knockouts, often within the first round. It’s easier to market, share on social media, and sell as real fighting to casual fans. Even fighters like Mike Perry, Eddie Alvarez, and Chad Mendes have jumped ship from MMA to test themselves in BKFC, drawing their fanbases along with them. By comparison, fewer elite athletes from MMA or boxing are making the leap into kickboxing.
Another advantage BKFC has over kickboxing is its storytelling and branding. BKFC events are marketed like prizefights with strong promotional angles, dramatic build-ups, and fighter personalities front and center. Kickboxing, on the other hand, often relies on pure sport appeal, highlighting technique and striking precision, which doesn’t always resonate with today’s fast-scrolling entertainment-first audience.
That said, kickboxing still has a loyal base and is widely respected among martial artists. ONE Championship continues to spotlight elite kickboxers like Superbon, Petrosyan, and Tawanchai, keeping the discipline alive at the highest levels. But if the current trend continues, bare knuckle boxing may very well outpace kickboxing in global popularity, at least when it comes to mainstream buzz.
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