Combat sports: Trout, Dodson get a piece of the action

Las Cruces' Austin Trout and Albuquerque's John Dodson, BKFC champions both, on Thursday got an unexpected windfall: equity in the world's leading bare-knuckle fighting promotional company.

David Feldman, BKFC founder and president, said during a news conference at Seminole Hard Rock Casino in Hollywood, Florida that all BKFC champions and any other fighters with 10 or more BKFC fights to their credit would be awarded shares.

Feldman previously had announced he'd planned to establish a pension fund for BKFC fighters. He said on Thursday he'd seen that initiative swallowed up in regulations and red tape.

Instead, he said, "Conor (McGregor, a BKFC co-owner) and I had a long talk and we said, 'Listen, let's do something we've never done. Let's make all our fighters owners of the company.' ... I've got shares of the company for all you guys."

Feldman said the proftits for qualified fighters will range from $100,000 up to $3 million for the most tenured fighters. Trout, the BKFC welterweight champion, is 4-0 in BKFC competition. Dodson, the flyweight champion, is 3-0-1.

Trout and Dodson attended Thursday's event in Florida.

IN THE RING: It was announced on Thursday that Trout would be part of a four-fighter tournament designed to determine a champion in the men's lightweight (155-pound) division. The title currently is vacant. No dates were announced.

Trout, a former boxing junior middleweight (154-pound) world champion, is scheduled for a rematch against Luis Palomino, whom Trout defeated in February 2024 to claim the BKFC welterweight title.

The other half of the tournament matches interim lightweight champion Ben Bonner and former champion Franco Tenaglia, with the winners to meet for the 155-pound title.

New BKFC signings were announced. Those included UFC middleweight contender Derek Brunson, who trained for several years at Jackson-Wink MMA in Albuquerque, and UFC light heavyweight Thiago Santos, who gave Albuquerque's Jon "Bones" Jones one of his toughest UFC fights.

IN THE INTERIM: Dodson expressed annoyance that a fight on a Saturday BKFC card in Florida between Gee Perez (5-01) and Andrew Strode (3-0) has been billed as for the BKFC interim flyweight title.

"That's kind of stupid," Dodson said, pointing out that the flyweight division has a sitting champion: Dodson.

"I'll beat whichever one wins, then I'll beat the other guy," he said.

KAT'S BACK: Bosque Farms’ Katherine Lindenmuth (7-4), fresh off her May 31 WIBA minimumweight title victory over Pornpimon Pongpaew in Thailand, has signed to face Brook Sibrian (7-2) in the main event on Aug. 2 of a card at the Soboba Casino in San Jacinto, Calif.

The title Lindenmuth won in Thailand will not be at stake, said her trainer, Tony Rosales.