On Friday at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium in Dubai, former junior middleweight champion Austin “No Doubt” Trout retained the BKFC bareknucke title in the 165-pound weight class. Trout edged out the previously undefeated Carlos Trinidad-Snake with a split-decision victory, defending his belt for the second time and improving to 4-0 in the process. Trout picked himself up off the canvas in the opening round and went to a rare overtime round to decide the title after the action-packed bout ended as a draw after five rounds. Two judges scored the six-round bout in favor of Trout (57-56, 58-55), while one had it 58-55 for Trinidad-Snake.

 

“I expected (a tough fight), but I didn’t think he was going to do it. Shoutout to Carlos, man. He came and fought his (expletive) off. He had a good game plan and made me change my game plan. All respect to him, but I’m still here. I’m still the champion,” Trout, a former WBA 154-pound champion, said afterwards. Trinidad-Snake, who represents Omaha NE, is now 6-1 in his BKFC career.‍

 

Britain Hart added to her resume by defending her BKFC women’s 115-pound title for a fourth time with a hard-fought decision victory over Tai Emery. Hart is now 10-3 on the strength of six straight wins in the BKFC squared circle. She is now tied with BKFC women’s flyweight champion Christine “Misfit” Ferea for most all-time victories amongst female BKFC combatants.  “I’m the best. I did it. I’ve proven it, and I’ve earned it,” Hart told the sold-out Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium. “I haven’t asked for anything; I’ve earned what I’ve got. I want to earn your respect and love; that’s why I’m here. I’m here for a reason!” Two judges scored the contest 48-47 and one scored the bout 50-45, all in favor of the Danville, VA product Hart.

 

Emery, an Australian based in Dubai, is now 2-2 in her BKFC career.

 

The debuting Jonny “El Toro” Tello and the unbeaten Sabah “The Sleek Sheik” Homasi delivered a frontrunner for “Fight of the Year” with their middleweight barnburner. After losing the opening two rounds, the Thailand-based Canadian Tello rallied with a pair of knockdowns that paved the way for a highly entertaining, come-from-behind win over Homasi. Two judges scored the fight 48-45 and one had it 47-46, all in favor of Tello.

 

“They call me ‘El Toro’ for a reason. I’m a bull, man,” Tello told the Dubai faithful. “I knew coming out here would change my life. I knew that I was going to leave this fight as a winner. Even if I lost, I knew it was going to be the Fight of the Night.”

 

Homasi, an Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) vet out of Coconut Creek, FL, is now 1-1 under the BKFC banner.

 

Brazi’s Geronimo “Mondragon” Dos Santos introduced himself in style to the BKFC heavyweight division with a jaw-dropping, first-round KO over UFC vet Alexey “The Boa Constrictor” Oleinik. Time of the stoppage was 1:49 in the first round. The Russian Oleinik is now 0-1 under the BKFC banner.‍

 

Adel “Kyokushin” Altamimi turned heads in his BKFC debut as the Los Angeles-based Iraqi fighter sent the previously unbeaten David Mora to the canvas three times in their welterweight battle. The KO stoppage came at the 1:28 mark in the third round. Mora, who represents Spain, is now 1-1 under the BKFC banner.

 

Egypt’s Ahmed Khairy recorded three knockdowns en route to the TKO over Brazilian Leandro Martins in their lightweight showdown. The ringside physician called a stop to the bout at the 1:01 mark of the third round. Both fighters were stepping into the BKFC squared circle for the first time. 

 

Bulgarian middleweight Mladen Iliev smashed his way to 2-0 under the BKFC banner by knocking out debuting Algerian fighter Aboubkeur Houari. The stoppage came 23 seconds into the second round.

 

Egypt’s Mohamed “Flex” Aly dropped Jaskaran Singh twice en route to the first-round TKO victory in their heavyweight matchup. Time of the stoppage was 59 seconds into the first round. Both fighters were making their BKFC debut.

 

Egyptian bantamweight Mahmoud Ahmed improved to 2-0 with a split-decision victory over debuting Russian fighter Fuad “The Flash” Tarverdi. Each fighter scored a knockdown in the action-packed matchup. Two judges scored the fight 47-46 for Ahmed, while one scored it 47-46 for Tarverdi.

 

Azerbaijan’s Elnur “The Conqueror” Suleymanov was victorious in his BKFC debut, stopping Germany’s Lucas “The Dentist” Sontgen via KO in their middleweight showdown. The bout was called to a stop 14 seconds into the second round. Sontgen was also making his BKFC debut.

 

In the first BKFC bout in UAE history, Chechnya’s Islam Sizbulatov needed just 40 seconds and a single knockdown to stop Leang Cheng of Cambodia in lightweight action. Both combatants were making their BKFC debut.‍

 

BKFC 71 Results‍

 

Austin Trout def. Carlos Trinidad-Snake via Split Decision (58-55, 55-58, 57-56)‍

(defends BKFC welterweight title‍);

 

Britain Hart def. Tai Emery via Unanimous Decision (48-47x2, 50-45)‍ (defends BKFC strawweight title‍);

 

Jonny Tello def. Sabah Homasi via Unanimous Decision (48-45x2, 47-46);

 

Geronimo Dos Santos def. Alexey Oleinik via KO in Round 1 (1:49);

 

Adel Altamimi def. David Mora via KO in Round 3 (1:28);

 

Ahmed Khairy def. Leandro Martins via TKO in Round 3 (1:01);

 

Mladen Iliev def. Aboubkeur Houari via KO in Round 2 (0:23);

 

Mohamed Aly def. Jaskaran Singh via TKO in Round 1 (0:59);

 

Mahmoud Ahmed def. Fuad Tarverdi via Split Decision (47-46x2, 46-47);

 

Elnur Suleymanov def. Lucas Sontgen via KO in Round 2 (0:14); and

 

Islam Sizbulatov def. Leang Cheng via KO in Round 1 (0:40).