Gorjan Slaveski faces Julian Lane in the main event of BKFC 79, live from the Legendary Sturgis Buffalo Chip in Sturgis, SD on Saturday, August 2. The two fighters meet in a bare-knuckle boxing clash for the vacant welterweight title.
Unbeaten former champion Slaveski (6-0) of Macedonia returns to the ring, looking to regain the title. Lane (8-7) of Mansfield, Ohio is on a four-fight win streak and aims to take over the division. The 165-pound title was vacated by Austin Trout, who moves down in weight.
The co-main event is a strawweight bout between Taylor Starling (4-4) of Rock Hill, SC and Shelby Cannon (1-0) of Anderson, IN. Starling defeated Bec Rawlings by unanimous decision in January, while Cannon scored a UD over Kathryn Paprocki in May.
In other matchups, Zach Calmus (5-3) of Gloucester, MA takes on Montana’s Corey Willis (1-0) at heavyweight. Also, Brandon Conley (2-0-1) of Chillicothe, Ohio faces Virginia’s David Simpson (2-4) at light heavyweight.
BKFC 79 Sturgis results
Get BKFC 79 Sturgis full fight card results below.
Main card
- Julian Lane def. Gorjan Slaveski by unanimous decision (49-44, 49-44, 49-45)
- Taylor Starling def. Shelby Cannon by unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 49-46)
- Corey Willis def. Zach Calmus by TKO (R2, 2:00)
- David Simpson def. Brandon Conley by TKO (R1, 0:26)
- Elvin Leon Brito def. Brandon Meyer by TKO (R4, 0:32)
- Shyanna Bintliff def. Marisol Ruelas by TKO (R2, 1:11)
- Bear Hill def. Billy Swanson by KO (R3, 1:27)
- Traevon Kroger def. Daniel Pettit by TKO (R1)
Prelims
- Timmy Mason def. AJ Craig by TKO (doctor stoppage, R1, 2:00)
- Cody Kerr def. Dillon Blaydon by TKO (R1, 1:01)
- Dan Godoy def. Paco Castillo by TKO (R3, 2:00)
BKFC 79 Sturgis live blog
Julian Lane defeats Gorjan Slaveski by decision
Julian Lane defeats Gorjan Slaveski by unanimous decision in a five-round main event. With the victory, Lane claims the vacant BKFC welterweight title. On his way to victory, Lane scored knockdowns in both the third and fifth rounds. The scores were 49-44, 49-44, and 49-45.
Taylor Starling defeats Shelby Cannon by decision
Taylor Starling defeats Shelby Cannon by unanimous decision in the co-main event at strawweight. The judges scored it 48-47, 48-47, and 49-46.
Corey Willis stops Zach Calmus in two rounds
Corey Willis stops Zach Calmus in two rounds at heavyweight. On his way to victory, Willis dropped Calmus in the second round.
Video: Cody Kerr dominates Dillon Blaydon
Here’s a clip from the prelims, featuring Cody Kerr dominating Dillon Blaydon.
Video: Shyanna Bintliff vs Marisol Ruelas
Here is a clip from the showdown between Shyanna Bintliff and Marisol Ruelas.
David Simpson stops Brandon Conley in 26 seconds
David Simpson defeats Brandon Conley via first-round TKO at light heavyweight, with the fight ending 26 seconds into the round.
Elvin Leon Brito stops Brandon Meyer in fourth round
Elvin Leon Brito defeats Brandon Meyer via fourth-round TKO at lightweight, with the stoppage coming at 32 seconds. On his way to victory, Brito dropped Meyer in the third round.
Shyanna Bintliff TKO's Marisol Ruelas in second round
Shyanna Bintliff drops and stops Marisol Ruelas in the second round, bouncing back from a knockdown in the opening round.
Bear Hill KO's Billy Swanson in third round
Bear Hill defeats Billy Swanson by knockout in the third round at heavyweight, with the official time of stoppage at 1:27. Hill dropped Swanson once in the second and twice in the third.
Traevon Kroger eliminates Daniel Pettit in one orund
Traevon Kroger defeats Daniel Pettit via first-round TKO at featherweight, as the bout didn’t go past the opening round.
Timmy Mason stops AJ Craig in one round
Timmy Mason defeats AJ Craig via TKO due to doctor stoppage after the first round. On his way to victory, Mason dropped Craig twice.
Cody Kerr stops Dillon Blaydon in first round
Cody Kerr dominates Dillon Blaydon in 61 seconds at cruiserweight, with Blaydon taking a knee and refusing to continue.
Dan Godoy stops Paco Castillo in three rounds
Kicking off the action, Dan Godoy stops Paco Castillo in three rounds at lightweight. In the first round, Godoy secured a knockdown.
Countdown to BKFC 79 Sturgis
The countdown to BKFC 79 in Sturgis features highlights from previous events and the free prelims from tonight’s card.
BKFC 79 Sturgis: How to watch and start time
BKFC 79 Sturgis airs live on Prime Video. The start time is 8:30 PM ET / 5:30 PM PT.