On the heels of becoming a two-division BKB champion and solidifying himself among the top, if not top, pound-for-pound bare knuckle boxers earlier this month BKB 47 in Leeds, England, BKB bridgerweight and super cruiserweight champion Marko Martinjak announced that he will vacate his super cruiserweight title and focus his efforts on BKB's bridgerweight division. His first-round knockout of bridgerweight champion Dan Podmore on Saturday brought the Zagreb, Croatia fighter’s record to 13-2 with 13 knockouts, and made him a bare knuckle boxing champion in an unprecedented five different weight classes: super cruiser and bridger (concurrent), cruiser, super middleweight, and light heavyweight.

Said Martinjak, “Championships, to me, are a means to an end – and that is to become the best ever to do it. In order to be the best, you have to beat the best. There is a reason I am called the ‘Emperor of Bare Knuckle.’ I have the highest boxing skillset, the highest boxing IQ, and the highest boxing mindset of anyone in the sport, and every fight, I am better than my last. I am the greatest pound-for-pound bare knuckle boxer in the world. Not LT Nelson, not Gustavo Trujillo, not any of those washed up MMA clowns in the other organization.”

He continued, “Now, I am working my way through the upper weight classes. I can fight at Heavyweight, but I won’t go down any more. I’ve proven all I’ve needed to prove in super cruiserweight, and now it’s time I assert my domination over the bridgers. I am vacating my super cruiserweight title. Line them up. Anyone who wants it, can try to come get it.”

With the Emperor’s abjuration, BKB Hall of Fame Matchmaker Mel Valenzuela announced that BKB’s #1 ranked super cruiserweight Yordan Fuentes and #2 ranked Julian Fernandez will now fight for the vacant title at BKB 48 in South Florida on November 22nd.

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