Ex-UFC Heavyweights Meet in Stacked BKFC December Event

Originally posted on FanNation MMA Knockout | Last updated 10/19/23

Former UFC heavyweights Ben Rothwell and Todd Duffee are set to square off in the co-main event of the recently-announced BKFC 56 card that will take place on December 2.

Combat sports fans have become used to seeing major names from MMA make the jump over to bareknuckle fighting in recent years.

The move has paid off well for Rothwell so far, as the 42-year-old has already gone 2-0 with a pair of stoppages under the BKFC banner since being released from the UFC in 2022.

Rothwell most recently defeated UFC and PFL veteran Josh Copeland in April, and now “Big" Ben is set to meet another ex-UFC heavyweight when he takes on Duffee in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Duffee will be looking to collect his first professional combat sports victory since 2014. The 37-year-old began his MMA career in 2007 and went 1-1 in his first stint with the UFC before he returned to the promotion in 2012.

A knockout loss to former heavyweight king Frank Mir saw Duffee embark on a more than four-year layoff before his next fight against Jeff Hughes ended in a No Contest due to an eye poke.

The disappointing result against Hughes ended Duffee’s time with the UFC, and in February he returned to challenge his former opponent Phil De Fries for the KSW heavyweight title and was knocked out in the first round.

The heavyweight co-main event adds some solid name value to BKFC 56, but as interesting as that matchup may be the major selling point for the card looks to be the headlining bout that features UFC veteran Mike Perry taking on former Bellator and UFC champion Eddie Alvarez.

This article first appeared on FanNation MMA Knockout and was syndicated with permission.

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