BKFC's future in Albuquerque in question

As the final fight on his contract approaches, Albuquerque’s Donald Sanchez says only the ideal circumstance could persuade him to step into the BKFC’s circular ring one more time after the last time: a fight in his hometown against just the right opponent.

Never say never, right? Sanchez, after all, has "unretired" before.

Chances are, though, it's not going to happen.

As Sanchez looks forward to what likely will be his bare-knuckle finale against Jeremy Smith on March 20 in Hollywood, Fla., the BKFC is going everywhere except Albuquerque. 

“They’ve really put us on the bench while they’re trying to expand to other markets,” said Ricky Kottenstette, who manages the career of fellow Albuquerquean and BKFC flyweight champion John Dodson.

Wait a minute. Hasn’t Albuquerque been good to the BKFC? 

In February 2023, a BKFC card at Tingley Coliseum, with Las Cruces’ Austin Trout and Albuquerque’s Diego Sanchez in the main event, drew a crowd announced at 6,792 — at the time a BKFC attendance record. That August, that record was surpassed by a crowd of 7,843 at Tingley for a card headlined by Dodson. 

The BKFC has been back four times since then, but has seen diminishing returns. 

Cards at Revel ABQ and at the Kiva Auditorium at the Albuquerque Convention Center were sellouts or nearly so, but at venues far smaller than Tingley. No attendance figure was announced for a March 2024 card at Tingley with Dodson in the main event and with Sanchez in the co-main, but the crowd was noticeably smaller than those in 2023.

Last June 6, a crowd announced at 3,300 attended a card at Tingley as Sanchez lost by unanimous decision to champion David Mundell in a BKFC middleweight title fight. 

Nonetheless, BKFC founder and President David Feldman had nothing but good things to say.

“Love being here in Albuquerque,” Feldman said after the June 6 card. "Can’t wait to come back; we’re coming back pretty soon.”

Feldman went on to say he had “a super fight” in mind for Albuquerque, perhaps in the Pit, and had discussed the matter with New Mexico Athletic Commission chairman Ed Manzanares. 

Manzanares told the Journal on Tuesday that he hadn’t heard from the BKFC since that night more than eight months ago. 

The BKFC appears to be scheduled for 2026 through April with a few events scheduled beyond that. And those record BKFC crowds at Tingley have been far surpassed. A January 2025 BKFC KnuckleMania event in Philadelphia, the promotion’s headquarters, drew a crowd announced at 17,762. Early this month, 18,217 fans turned out for KnuckleMania VI.

An attempt by the Journal to reach Feldman for comment was unsuccessful. 

SANCHEZ SAYS IT’S FINE: Sanchez, 41, said in a phone interview he’s more than OK with walking away — not just from bare knuckle, but from combat sports — after his rematch with Smith on March 20. 

“I’m not fighting just to fight anymore,” he said. “… I’m older, I’ve got a family to take care of, businesses to run, and every horse has his day.”

To finish his career against Smith, he said, would be a fitting finale. He lost his bare-knuckle debut to Smith by unanimous decision on the BKFC’s first New Mexico card at the Rio Rancho Events Center in August 2022.

When he fought Smith, in Rio Rancho, he said, “I really wasn’t committed, to be honest with you. I’d been done for a few years.”

After a 50-fight MMA career spanning 14 years, plus nine appearances as a professional boxer, Sanchez was, he believed, retired. His last MMA fight was in Jan. 2019, his last boxing match took place a year later.

When the BKFC approached him regarding the Rio Rancho card, he was “overweight and unhealthy. I just wanted to get back in shape again.”

The loss to Smith, he said, didn’t sit well. Bare knuckle is real competition, he realized, and he decided he wanted more. He signed a six-fight contract, which he’ll fulfill on March 20.

After reeling off four consecutive wins, he’d lost by lopsided unanimous decision, twice knocked down, against Mundell. He resolved that night that the final fight on his contract would be his last, period.

Will it be? Unless the BKFC falls back in love with Albuquerque, and vice versa, it appears so.

DODSON UPDATE: Dodson, the ever-popular “Magician,” has not fought in BKFC competition since fighting to a draw against Dagoberto Aguero — retaining his flyweight title — in March 2024 at Tingley. He’s fought twice since in Japan, once in bare knuckle, once in MMA.

Kottenstette said he expects an announcement soon regarding Dodson’s BKFC return, possibly in Dubai in May.

“That’s what we’re shooting for,” he said.