BKFC's Ste Wallwork Diagnosed With Ruptured Jaw Vessel After BKFC 94 Loss

Ste Wallwork has revealed he was fighting through a ruptured blood vessel in his jaw during his Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship debut, a injury that ultimately brought his night to an early end at BKFC 94 in Manchester's AO Arena.

The event, held in front of a crowd of 15,894 fans, saw Wallwork step into the bare-knuckle ring for the first time under the BKFC banner, facing Leigh Cahoon. The bout did not reach a conventional finish — the ringside doctor intervened at the end of round two, stopping the contest due to severe swelling that had developed around Wallwork's jaw. The stoppage was ruled a doctor's TKO, handing Cahoon the victory on Wallwork's promotional debut.

In the aftermath, Wallwork addressed the result publicly, disclosing the diagnosis of the ruptured vessel and making clear he had no intention of stepping away from the fight on his own terms. He credited Cahoon on the win and expressed no bitterness over the outcome.

Why it matters

• The doctor's stoppage at the end of round two underlines the medical oversight in place at BKFC events, where bare-knuckle combat carries elevated risk of facial trauma.
• Wallwork's debut ending in a stoppage loss sets a challenging tone for his start in the promotion, though the circumstances of the injury place the result in a different context than a traditional defeat.
• Cahoon picks up a notable win in Manchester, one of the largest crowds the promotion has drawn in the United Kingdom.

Wallwork indicated he plans to rest and allow himself time to recover before returning to the gym, suggesting he intends to continue competing under the BKFC banner when healthy.