BKFC 79 Sturgis: Gogo vs. Lane is an upcoming bare-knuckle fighting event to be held by Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship on August 2, 2025 at the Buffalo Chip Campground in Sturgis, South Dakota, United States.
Fight Card
Main Card
Welterweight 75 kg North Macedonia Gorjan Slaveski vs. United States Julian Lane Welterweight Championship
Women's Flyweight 57 kg United States Taylor Starling vs. United States Shelby Cannon
Heavyweight 120 kg United States Zach Calmus vs. United States Corey Willis
Light Heavyweight 84 kg United States Brandon Conley vs. United States David Simpson
Lightweight 70 kg Puerto Rico Elvin Brito vs. United States Brandon Meyer
Cruiserweight 93 kg United Kingdom Jay Kerr vs. United States Dillon Blaydon
Women's Featherweight 66 kg United States Shyanna Bintliff vs. United States Marisol Ruelas
Heavyweight 120 kg United States Bear Hill vs. United States Billy Swanson
Featherweight 66 kg United States Traevon Kroger vs. United States Daniel Pettit
Lightweight 70 kg Canada Dan Godoy vs. United States Ruben Arroyo
Featherweight 66 kg United States Timmy Mason vs. United States Corey Roberts
Background
BKFC Returns To Sturgis With Explosive Event At 85th Annual Motorcycle Rally On Saturday, August 2!
Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC), The World’s Fastest Growing Combat Sports Promotion, will make their highly anticipated return in Sturgis, South Dakota on Saturday, August 2 at the Legendary Sturgis Buffalo Chip.
The explosive event, BKFC-79 Sturgis, is headlined by the BKFC Vacant Welterweight World Title Fight between Former BKFC Welterweight World Champion Gorjan ‘GoGo’ Slaveski, (6-0), of Merrillville, IN of and BKFC Fighting Legend Julian ‘Let Me Bang’ Lane, (8-7) of Mansfield, OH.
Co-featured in the women’s strawweight division, Popular BKFC Female Superstar Taylor ‘Killa B’ Starling, (4-4), of Rock Hill, SC is challenged by impressive newcomer Shelby Cannon, (1-0) of Anderson, IN.
“Last year’s event at Sturgis was one of the most successful we’ve promoted in our seven years; the fans, the atmosphere, and the fights were all incredible,” said David Feldman, Founder and President of BKFC. “Our plans for this year are bigger and better with both our announced main and co-main and the entire undercard promising explosive action throughout our event.”
A native of North Macedonia, the hard-hitting Gorjan Slaveski captured BKFC glory by defeating Jake Lindsey at BKFC-49 for the Welterweight World Title. His upcoming world title clash with Julian Lane follows a two-year absence from the squared circle. Other victories for him under the BKFC banner, four of which have come by knockout, include Yosdenis Cedeno (BKFC-35), Evgeny Kurdanov (BKFC-31), Dallas Davison (BKFC-29), Juston Stills (BKFC-25) and Ramal Amanov (BKFC Fight Night Fort Lauderdale).
A true bare-knuckle pioneer, Julian Lane, fighting out of Mansfield, OH is among BKFC’s most popular fighters known for his full-on, all-gas, no brakes, aggressive style in the squared circle. Currently riding an impressive three fight winning streak, Lane has fought the best bare-knuckle fighters in the world under the BKFC banner since his debut in February 2019. With an overall record of 7-7 Lane has clashed in remarkable battles against BKFC superstars; Mike Perry, David Mundell, Thiago Alves, David Rickels and Jake Bostwick. Victories most recently for Lane include former professional boxing champion Alfredo Angulo (BKFC on DAZN – Billings, Montana), Evgeny Kurdanov (KnuckleMania IV) and Murat Kazgan (BKFC-53).
Since her BKFC debut at KnuckleMania I, Taylor Starling has fought in numerous thrilling fights stamping her success as one of the most popular fighters in the promotion. Last year at BKFC’s debut event at Sturgis, Startling fought to the end in a hotly contested battle against strawweight world champion Britain Hart, losing by unanimous decision. Her exciting victories have come against Jenny Savage, Hannah Guy, Cassie Robb and Charisa Sigala.
Former BKFC Welterweight World Champion Elvin ‘El Bandito’ Brito, (6-6), of Gulf Breeze, FL makes his highly anticipated return against Jeremiah ‘The Prophet’ Scott, (2-0), of Myrtle Beach, SC in the lightweight division.
Light heavyweight Brandon ‘Stronghold’ Conley, (2-0-1), of Chillicothe, OH faces Virginia’s David Simpson, (2-4). Heavyweight fan favorite, Zach ‘The Shark Attack’ Calmus, (5-3), of Gloucester, MA hits the squared circle against Montana’s Corey ‘WhatChaTalkingBout’ Willis, (1-0). Female BKFC debuters will face-off in the featherweight division as Shyanna Bintliff of Rapid City, South Dakota, battles Marisol Rueles of Woodridge, IL.
Fighting in the featherweight division, South Dakota’s Traevon ‘Kid Cobra’ Kroger, (1-0), faces Daniel ‘The Tower Dog’ Pettit, (1-2), of Lake Elsinore, CA. In a battle of undefeated heavyweight prospects; Alabama’s Bear Hill, (1-0), returns to action against Iman ‘Stross’ Williams (1-0), of Riverside, CA. Battle-tested lightweight veteran Dan Godoy, (0-3), of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada seeks his first BKFC victory against Ruben Arroyo, (0-2) of Texas.
