BKFC champ who defected to BYB Extreme set for Feb. 1 debut at BYB 36 ‘Cardiff Brawl II’ in Wales

Jesse Holland is among the longest-tenured media professionals in the combat sports news space, covering MMA, professional wrestling and boxing on a full-time basis since early 2004.

BYB Extreme Bare Knuckle Fighting Series returns to Wales for BYB 36: “Cardiff Brawl II” inside the Vale Arena on Sat., Feb. 1, 2025. BYB 36 will be headlined by the BYB light heavyweight title fight pitting “Welsh Wrecking Machine” Barrie Jones against Venezuelan smasher Gregoris Cisneros.

“As much as anyplace else, Wales has quickly become a hotbed of young superstars in the world of bare knuckle, and the fanbase has responded accordingly,” said BYB Head of European Operations, Jim Freeman. “While we continue to grow and have established ourselves as the worldwide leader in bare knuckle, BYB is proud to have found a recurring home in the fight-hungry Welsh market. We’ll continue to put on the best, high-quality shows, and leave fans wanting more.”

Also scheduled for the “Cardiff Brawl II” fight card is the BYB debut of Ellis Shepherd, who defected from BKFC as the reigning BKFC UK featherweight champion. Former WBC international bantamweight and EBU European super flyweight champion Ashley Brace will also see action, along with 10-time Welsh and two-time British boxing champion Keiron Harding and former UFC middleweight and BAMMA champion Jack Marshman.

“Since BYB’s acquisition of BKB this past May, and the subsequent merging and expansion of our global roster, we are able to put together the best matchups on the planet featuring the best fighters from all over the world,” said BYB CEO Gregory Bloom. “Fans on both sides of the Atlantic have been treated to quality, superstar matchups not available anywhere else. If you thought Nelson-Jones was one for the ages, wait until you see Cisneros-Nelson.”

Tickets are on sale now at bybtickets.com.