The Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship is set to make history on Saturday, November 7, as the promotion crosses the border for its inaugural event in Scotland. BKFC 96 Glasgow: Weir vs. Cohoon takes over the iconic OVO Hydro arena in Glasgow, bringing a packed night of high-stakes, gloveless combat to a rabid local audience.
The 11-fight card features a main event with championship gold on the line, alongside a high-profile co-main event showcasing veteran mixed martial artists, a heavy-hitting heavyweight clash, and a deep undercard loaded with local Scottish talent looking to make a statement on the international stage.
The evening’s action gets underway with the preliminary card at 1 p.m. ET, followed by the main card at 2 p.m. ET. The entire event will be streamed internationally through the promotion’s dedicated platform, BKFC+.
Sean Weir vs. Leigh Cohoon
At the top of the card, undefeated Scottish contender Sean Weir meets late replacement Leigh Cohoon in a high-stakes clash for the vacant BKFC UK light-heavyweight championship.
Weir was originally scheduled to face Conor Cooke in what promised to be a massive domestic showdown. However, the former champion withdrew from the bout and relinquished his title during fight week, forcing a major shift in plans. Stepping up to the plate is Cohoon, who accepted the assignment on short notice and will make his return to the light heavyweight division for the biggest and most lucrative opportunity of his bare-knuckle career.
Weir enters his first career championship bout boasting a pristine 3-0 bare-knuckle record, carrying the heavy expectations and full support of a passionate Glasgow crowd. The Scottish prospect has demonstrated devastating power inside the Squared Circle, finishing all three of his promotional opponents. His run includes stoppage victories over Joe Lister and a blistering sub-one-round knockout of Matty Hodgson back in March, a performance that cemented his status as a legitimate title threat.
His combination of imposing size, relentless pressure, and raw aggression has established him as one of the fastest-rising British fighters on the roster. Yet, stepping into a main event of this magnitude for the promotion’s Scottish debut introduces external pressures that cannot be measured simply by looking at a fighter’s record. Reports leading up to fight week indicated that approximately 9,000 tickets had been sold, creating the conditions for what could easily become one of the loudest, most hostile and electrifying environments in BKFC history.
Opposing him is Cohoon, who enters the arena with a formidable 4-1 record. Notably, all four of his victories have come by way of stoppage within three rounds. The Manchester fighter began his bare-knuckle journey in the light-heavyweight division, securing impressive stoppages over Kane Wilkinson and James O’Brien before temporarily dropping down to middleweight. During his stint at 165 pounds, he added more knockout victories to his resume against Cory Hardy and Ste Wallwork.
Cohoon’s only career blemish remains a hard-fought unanimous decision loss to George Thorpe. He quickly rebounded from that setback by stopping Wallwork in the second round at BKFC 94 Manchester on September 26. Although he takes this championship opportunity on short notice, Cohoon was already in exceptional fighting shape having competed just six weeks prior. That recent activity and conditioning could prove vital in helping him offset the limited preparation time he had to study and craft a game plan for Weir’s unique style.
The primary stylistic question surrounding Cohoon is how smoothly he handles the transition back up to light heavyweight. He will no longer have to endure the grueling weight cut to reach the middleweight limit, but he must immediately contend with a naturally larger opponent who has finished every single professional adversary he has faced.
Weir is expected to try to impose his heavy hands right from the opening bell, leveraging the thunderous energy of the home crowd to force Cohoon backward. However, the challenger’s vast experience and proven finishing instincts make that aggressive approach a dangerous gamble. Cohoon has repeatedly shown throughout his career that he can ruthlessly capitalize when opponents overextend themselves in pursuit of a knockout. With both men carrying 100-percent finishing rates in victory, the judges sitting at ringside may not even be required to make a scorecard decision.
Stevie Ray Makes His Bare-Knuckle Debut
The co-main event features a fascinating stylistic crossroad as former UFC and PFL lightweight standout Stevie “Braveheart” Ray makes his much-anticipated bare-knuckle debut. The Glasgow native steps into the Squared Circle to face gritty English veteran Danny “The Bastard” Christie in a compelling middleweight matchup.
Ray compiled an impressive 26-13 professional mixed martial arts record over a stellar career, squaring off against elite competition at the highest levels of the sport. During his notable runs in the UFC and PFL, Ray secured career-defining victories over notable names such as Anthony Pettis, Michael Johnson, Ross Pearson, and Marcin Held.
His extensive high-level boxing experience, natural southpaw stance, and proven ability to perform under extreme pressure should theoretically translate very well to the bare-knuckle discipline. However, the complete removal of the grappling threat and the takedown fundamentally changes the dynamic of combat, forcing strikers to adapt how they manage distance and approach their opponents.
In Christie, Ray draws a baptism by fire. The English competitor carries a hardened 5-3 BKFC record and has already shared the ring with some of the absolute best middleweights in the organization. His professional resume features emphatic stoppage victories over established names like David Round, Darren Hendry, and Jared Warren.
Christie enters this assignment following consecutive losses to reigning middleweight champion David Mundell and top contender Connor Tierney. While those defeats were setbacks, the high-level experience Christie gained from them is an invaluable asset that Ray simply cannot replicate during a training camp.
Bare-knuckle fighting demands far more than conventional boxing technique alone. Distance management, precise hand placement, dirty boxing in the clinch, and the crucial ability to manage facial cuts and swelling all require specific promotional experience. Christie has already endured and adapted to those chaotic situations across eight demanding BKFC appearances. While Ray undoubtedly enters the venue as the more accomplished overall combat-sports athlete, Christie stands as the proven bare-knuckle specialist.
Gzim Selmani Returns Against Reece Heer
In a featured heavyweight contest, Gzim “The Albanian Psycho” Selmani returns for his second promotional appearance to lock horns with Reece Heer.
Selmani made a memorable promotional debut back in March, dismantling Dan Curtin en route to a second-round stoppage. The former professional wrestler and seasoned mixed martial artist brings considerable size, functional power, and exceptional overall athleticism into the ring.
His opponent, Heer, enters the matchup holding a 1-1 bare-knuckle record. Heavyweight bouts in this promotion notoriously leave very little room for error, as both men possess the concussive power to bring a sudden halt to the contest with a single clean exchange.
Scottish Talent Fills the Undercard
The remainder of the card provides a massive showcase for domestic talent, heavily featuring regional competitors looking to make an impact on the global stage.
Former MMA competitor Scott Malone is set to make his bare-knuckle debut against Kieron Sewell in a pivotal bantamweight contest. Sewell holds a 2-1 promotional record and will undoubtedly look to play the role of the spoiler during another fighter’s Scottish homecoming.
In the heavyweight division, Barry Boyle and Kaseem Saleem square off in an all-Scottish matchup guaranteed to draw a massive reaction from the local fans. Meanwhile, Doalty Torrance meets KJ Metcalfe in a welterweight clash, Cory Chapman takes on debuting bantamweight Lewis Dixon, and Dan Morel squares off against Owen Webster in a featherweight encounter.
The free preliminary card features several intriguing local matchups, including Lewis Knox facing Tommy Carus, Rhys Pagan taking on Danny Moir, and Ian Mulroy meeting Charlie Thomson.
As the promotion prepares to open its doors at the OVO Hydro, fans around the world can tune in via the BKFC+ streaming service to watch the historical event unfold live from Glasgow.
