Ben Rothwell is poised to compete for a second BKFC title as the promotion makes its first appearance in Australia.
BKFC confirmed Tuesday that their inaugural Australian event on July 18 will feature Rothwell challenging Alex Simon for the first-ever BKFC super heavyweight championship. Rothwell, who holds a 37-14 MMA record, previously secured the BKFC heavyweight title with a quick 36-second knockout of Mick Terrill in January.
Alex Simon will make his bare-knuckle boxing debut with an opportunity to capture gold in his native Australia. Simon is a respected powerlifter who has competed occasionally in combat sports since 2018, holding a 1-1 MMA record. His most recent combat appearance was a boxing match in August 2023, which ended in a fifth-round TKO (retirement) loss to Bryce Jones.
The co-main event will showcase Australian fighter Bec Rawlings against Jade Masson-Wong in a flyweight contest. Rawlings, a veteran of MMA, ended a three-fight losing streak in BKFC this past January by securing a unanimous decision victory over Taylor Starling. Masson-Wong holds a BKFC record of 3 wins and 2 losses and is coming off a split decision defeat against Christine Ferea.
The event, BKFC 79, is scheduled for July 18 at RAC Arena in Perth, Australia.
