BKFC CEO David Feldman has announced the promotion is discontinuing its flyweight division. Current flyweight champion John Dodson will become BKFC's 135-pound champion if he beats Jamel Herring tomorrow night.
Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship is shutting down its flyweight division, CEO David Feldman has announced. The move affects the promotion's current 125-pound titleholder, John Dodson, who is set to carry his championship up in weight if he wins his fight against Jamel Herring tomorrow night.
Under the plan Feldman outlined, a victory over Herring would make Dodson BKFC's 135-pound champion. The arrangement effectively folds the flyweight title into the bantamweight class rather than leaving it vacant.
Dodson, nicknamed "The Magician," is 42 years old and fights out of Jackson-Wink MMA. The American carries a 22-12-0 record and stands five-foot-three, or 160 cm, with a 66-inch reach. That small frame has long made 135 pounds a natural landing spot for him. His numbers reflect a measured striker: he lands 3.2 significant strikes per minute at 40 percent accuracy, and he averages 0.71 takedowns per 15 minutes.
The story names Herring only as Dodson's opponent for the bout. He is the man standing between the champion and the new title status.
Why it matters
- BKFC loses its lightest weight class, narrowing its title picture at the small end of the roster.
- Dodson's championship would shift to 135 pounds only if he beats Herring, so the result carries extra weight beyond a standard title defense.
- The promotion keeps a recognizable champion at the top of a remaining division instead of stripping or vacating his belt.
The decision signals a leaner divisional structure for BKFC. For Dodson, tomorrow night is now a double test: he must beat Herring, and doing so would carry him into a heavier weight class as champion.
