Dustin Pague defeats Julian Lane, wins BKFC Welterweight title
Uncasville, CT (Jan. 17, 2026) Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) kicked off its 2026 campaign with a bang on Saturday night as BKFC 86 took place at the sold-out Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT, and broadcast globally worldwide on DAZN.
In Saturday’s Main Event, Dustin Pague dethroned BKFC Welterweight World Champion Julian “Let Me Bang” Lane with a unanimous decision victory after their ultra-competitive fight went to an overtime round. The overtime round is rare in BKFC and is only used in World Championship fights where a winner isn’t decided after five rounds. Pague dropped Lane in the opening round, ultimately leading to the unanimous 57-56 verdict. Pague, who represents Carlisle, PA, is now 6-2 under the BKFC banner.
“The Disciple” Pague couldn’t hold back his emotions in his post-fight interview at the jam-packed Mohegan Sun Arena: “I can’t express what I’m feeling right now. If you thought this was all me, you’re crazy. This was God, man. I couldn’t do this without Jesus Christ, I’m telling you right now.”
Lane, who hails from Mansfield, OH, is now 9-8 in his bare-knuckle fighting career.
Former World Boxing Organization champion Jamel “Semper Fi” Herring turned heads in his highly anticipated BKFC premiere as the former Olympic gloved boxer earned a unanimous decision over Matt “The Silencer” Guymon in Saturday’s Co-Main Event. All three judges agreed on the 50-43 verdict for the Coram, NY bantamweight.
Herring is now the 11th world champion from a major gloved boxing organization to compete under the BKFC banner.
Herring warned undefeated BKFC Bantamweight World Champion Justin “Joy Boy” Ibarrola in his post-fight interview that a new era has begun in BKFC’s ultra-competitive, 135-pound weight class: “Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Jamel Herring show, starring Jamel Herring, brought to you by the good people at BKFC!”
Guymon, who hails from Wichita, KS, is now 2-2 under the BKFC banner.
BKFC Founder/President David Feldman announced on the DAZN broadcast that BKFC will make its long-awaited premiere in the state of Hawaii on April 11 at the world-famous Neal S. Blaisdell Center in Honolulu. He also announced on the broadcast that BKFC will be returning to Newcastle, England for the sixth time on March 14. More information about both events will be made public soon.
Below are quotes from David Feldman at the post-fight press conference.
– On the BKFC 86 Main Event: “Guys said they were willing to die out there to win that Championship, and they proved it tonight. Sensational fight. We’ll see if we have a rematch, or do something else with each guy.”
– On BKFC’s next event: “Next up is KnuckleMania VI on Feb. 7 in Philadelphia and we will eclipse what we did last year, when we broke the attendance record for combat sports in Philadelphia.”
– On BKFC’s presence in New England: “There’s a lot of tough guys in this region, and we’re excited for them to be on this journey with us. The Mohegan Sun has been an amazing partner for us, and the fighters get tougher and tougher with each fight. I think the crowd gets louder with every event.”
Denver’s Ramiro Figueroa climbed to 4-1 in the Squared Circle with his second straight win in Saturday’s Featured Fight, defeating the previously unbeaten Dalvin “The Hippy Disciple” Blair via unanimous decision in their welterweight showdown. Two judges agreed on 49-46 while one scored the contest 48-47, all for Figueroa.
The 24-year-old Figueroa told the jam-packed Mohegan Sun Arena that he wants to stay busy in 2026: “I fought last month, I fought this month, I’ll fight next month, I don’t care. Give me a contract and I’m there.”
Blair, a product of Mays Landing, NJ, is now 2-1 under the BKFC banner.
Unbeaten Peabody, MA product Rico DiSciullo smashed his way to 3-0 with a third straight finish, this time knocking out Ashton “No Chance” Caniglia in lightweight action. The stoppage came 26 seconds into the second round. The Omaha, NE product Caniglia is now 1-1.
Guilherme Viana upped his BKFC record to 2-0 as the Brazilian-born, Waterbury, CT product scored his second straight, first-round knockout at the expense of Juan Figuerva in the heavyweight division. Viana logged a pair of knockdowns before the referee called a stop to the contest with just one second left in the opening frame. Figuerva, who hails from Sunnywide, WA, is now 1-1.
South Portland, ME heavyweight Ras “Rasquatch The Jamaican Shamrock” Hylton picked himself up off the canvas three times and rallied for a fifth-round, standing stoppage victory with just seven seconds left in his matchup with Branko Busick. Both fighters were making their BKFC debut. Busick, a former linebacker for the West Virginia University Mountaineers, represents Pittsburgh, PA.
Columbia, MO’s Tray “Big Dog” Martin edged out “Nasty” Nate Ghareeb for the split decision in his action-packed BKFC debut. Two judges scored the welterweight contest in favor of Martin (48-47, 49-46) and one judge scored it for Ghareeb (48-47). Ghareeb, who hails from Southampton, MA, was making his BKFC debut after amassing a 13-3 record in professional MMA.
Myrtle Beach, SC’s Joey “The Raging Warrior” Gambino was victorious in his hotly anticipated BKFC premiere. The featherweight bout with Kurtis “The Outcast” Ellis was stopped after Ellis suffered a fight-ending hand injury at 1:08 of the second round. Gambino is well respected for his career in professional MMA, where he boasts a 9-2 record with two appearances under the UFC banner. The Omaha, NE product Ellis is now 1-2.
Fort Worth, TX’s Brandon “The Voodoo Child” Meneses needed just 55 seconds to stop Zach “Lil Mac” Pannell via technical knockout in their featherweight matchup. Meneses is now 1-1-1 under the BKFC banner. Pannell, who represents Lancaster, PA, moves to 1-5.
Lowell, MA’s Jared “Lenny” Lennon and Chachi Versace of Hudson, FL fought to a draw in the opening matchup of the night. One judge scored the bantamweight contest 48-46 for Lennon, another scored the bout 48-46 for the Brazilian-born Versace, and the third called the fight a 47-47 draw. Lennon is now 1-1-1 under the BKFC banner, while Versace is now 0-1-1.
BKFC 86 Results
Dustin Pague def. Julian Lane via Unanimous Decision (57-56×3) – Wins BKFC Welterweight World Title
Jamel Herring def. Matt Guymon via Unanimous Decision (50-43×3)
Ramiro Figueroa def. Dalvin Blair via Unanimous Decision (49-46×2, 48-47)
Rico DiSciullo def. Ashton Caniglia via KO in Round 2 (0:26)
Guilherme Viana def. Juan Figuerva via KO in Round 1 (1:59)
Ras Hylton def. Branko Busick via TKO in Round 5 (1:53)
Tray Martin def. Nate Ghareeb via Split Decision (47-48, 48-47, 49-46)
Joey Gambino def. Kurtis Ellis via TKO in Round 2 (1:08)
Brandon Meneses def. Zach Pannell via TKO in Round 1 (0:55)
Jared Lennon vs. Chachi Versace declared a Draw (48-46, 46-48, 47-47)
