Bare knuckle: Usmonov stuns Richardson in main event

Nice guy, Keith Richardson said Thursday of Bekhzod Usmonov, his opponent on Friday’s BKFC Fight Night card at the Albuquerque Convention Center. But, hey, you know where nice guys finish.

Friday, in a major upset, the nice guy finished on his feet — and finished Richardson by first-round TKO in Friday’s main event at the Kiva Auditorium.

Usmonov, a native of Tajikistan who lives in Albuquerque and trains at Jackson-Wink, improved to 2-1 in his young bare-knuckle career. Richardson, a South Carolinian and a former BKFC bantamweight champion who’d hoped to use Friday’s fight as a springboard back to a title shot, is 5-2.

“Hundred percent, I was the underdog,” Usmonov said afterward. “… We (he and Jackson-Wink coach Mike Winkeljohn) were together working on only two or three combinations, and I jumped in the cage and did my work and now I’m here.”

Usmonov put Richardson on the deck some 20 seconds into the fight with what he called “a combination called ‘Ding.’ I throw it, boom! And I can see he’s, like, already flying. I’m like, ‘OK, I got you.’”

Richardson got to his feet and, from ringside, appeared to be OK. But, Usmonov said, “I think he understands that there’s so much power in my hands and he’s like, ‘Oh, no.’”

The end came less than a minute later, when Usmonov landed a left-right, left-right combination — each blow landing flush.

Richardson got to his feet, but referee Andrew Glenn stopped the fight, believing the Rockville, South Carolina fighter was in no shape to continue.

Usmonov had weighed in on Thursday at 136.8 pounds, Richardson at 136. Usmonov said he was hoping Friday’s impressive victory might vault him past Richardson, the No. 1 contender, and into a title shot against BKFC bantamweight champion Alberto Blas of Cuba.

In the night’s co-main event, Albuquerque’s Donald Sanchez (4-1 BKFC) dropped Atlanta’s Harrison Aiken (3-4) three times en route to a victory by lopsided, unanimous decision.

It was the only one of 11 fights that went to the scorecards, but it was an easy fight to score. The judges’ cards read 49-43, 48-44 and 49-43.

“He was a little heavy for me,” Sanchez, who weighed in on Thursday at 185.8 pounds, said in the ring afterward.. “I’m more of a 75 or 65er.”

Sanchez then called out David Mundell, the BKFC middleweight (175-pound) champion.

“Mundell,” he said. “… Let’s go, come on.”

In a featured welterweight bout, Chicago’s Derrick Findley (4-2) beat Albuquerque’s Felipe Chavez (2-2) by second-round KO.

Chavez had just recovered from a low blow delivered by Findley when he got pinned with his back to the ropes. The powerfully built Findley caught him with a series of short punches, one that wrapped around Chavez’s throat, and the Albuquerque fighter sagged to the canvas.

In what was by acclamation the fight of the night, Albuquerque’s Eric Dodson (4-2), 146, defeated Van Vo (1-4) 145.2, Kettering,Ohio, by third-round TKO.

In a chaotic first round, Vo was given two standing-8 counts but had dropped Dodson twice — the second time with a hellacious right hand. How Dodson got to his feet only he knows, but he did.

The second round was almost as eventful. Vo again was given a standing-8 and again scored a knockdown.

In the third, Vo managed to stay upright in the face of a Dodson flurry, but the Ohio fighter clearly was out on his feet. Referee Glenn stepped in and stopped the fight.

“Hopefully you got what you paid for,” Dodson said, addressing a near-capacity crowd at the Kiva. Based on the fans’ reaction, it appeared so.

In earlier bouts:

Roderick Stewart, Abilene Texas, 176 (2-2) defeated Rio Rancho’s Bryant McClain (BKFC debut) by first-round KO.

Stewart dropped McClain, well known to Albuquerque-area boxing fans, three times in quick succession, through the second was ruled a push. McClain, in obvious pain, got up twice and was struggling to get to his feet a third time when the referee waved the one-sided fight off.

Albuquerque’s Lorenzo Coca (1-1) 154.8, defeated Ruben Arroyo (2-2), Isleta Pueblo, 153, by second-round TKO.

Arroyo, with mouses (mice?) under both eyes and with both eyes closing, went down for a count of eight of his own accord in the second round. He made it to the end of the round but did not come out for round three on the advice of the ring doctor.

Jay Jackson (5-3), Tampa, Florida, 185, defeated Albuquerque’s Kyle McElroy (2-5), 185.6, by third-round TKO.

After two competitive rounds, Jackson dropped McElroy with a hard shot in the third, then again with a flurry. McElroy, sporting a nasty cut over his left eye, was ruled unable to continue.

Justin Martinez (2-4), Wichita, Kansas, 124.6, defeated Zay Garcia (0-2), Albuquerque, 125.4, by first-round TKO.

Martinez caught Garcia with a classic left hook. Garcia leaped to his feet but staggered and clearly was dazed. The fight was stopped at 1:40 of the first.

William Albrecht (2-1), Albuquerque, 178.6, defeated Brett Fields (1-3), Chicago, 179, by first-round TKO.

Albrecht dropped Fields twice, the first time with little effect, the second with lots of it. Fields got his feet but was ruled unable to continue, over his objections, at the 1:35 of the first.

Murat Kilimetov, (2-0), Albuquerque, 200, defeated Oklahoman Lamont Stafford (1-1), 200, by first-round KO. Kilimetov floored Stafford twice. It appeared Stafford failed to beat the count of 10, though the result was announced as a TKO at 1:01 of the first.

Derek Perez (3-4), 136, Belen, defeated Mike Livingston (0-4), South St. Louis, Mo., by first-round TKO.

Perez had blood flowing from Livingston’s nose in the first few seconds, then floored him twice. Livingston got to his feet at just before the 10-count from after the second knockdown, but the referee stopped the onslaught at the 1:58 mark.

Bare Knuckle Fight Night moments at Kiva Auditorium