BKFC 75 marks the return of Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship's pound-for-pound king and Middleweight champion David Mundell.
The stage is set for June 7th, 2025, at Tingley Coliseum in Albuquerque, NM. Mundell will put his belt on the line against top contender Donald Sanchez, who is looking to make an impact on the bare knuckle fighting scene by dethroning the man who many consider the best. With this highly anticipated bout as the main event of BKFC 75, it is no wonder that fans are as excited as they are. Mundell is facing quite a challenge in Donald Sanchez – a veteran of combat sports and an extremely tough fighter, and someone who is similar in his hunger and willingness to go as far as he must to win. Let's see how they stack up, as we head into this riveting matchup for the BKFC Middleweight title.
David Mundell - Becoming BKFC's P4P King
David Mundell has had one of the most extraordinary journeys in modern day combat sports. From an upstart contender who met his match at the hands of an MMA legend and UFC veteran, to becoming a super tough challenger defying all odds, and finally, to being crowned a champion who would defend against anyone who would step up. Now, he is considered BKFC's pound-for-pound best, and the gold standard of what a bare knuckle fighter is supposed to be. Defiant in the face of adversity, humble, always ready for a challenge, exciting to watch, ready to go out on his shield, and someone who never gives up.
Mundell's style is one of the biggest reasons he's so beloved by fans. He doesn't back down, ever. And while he is not reckless or wild, he will give his all in a fight and will not take his foot off the gas pedal. A strong and lasting visual, ingrained in the hearts of BKFC fans, is David Mundell raising his hand after a win, with a huge cut under one eye and an even bigger smile on his face. He is not afraid to scrap; he is not afraid to get his hands dirty, and it is this exact attitude that brought him to the forefront of the sport. To get a better understanding of why he is as great as he is, let's look into his history.
He made his BKFC debut in 2019 at one of the promotion's landmark events – BKFC 6: Malignaggi vs Lobov. On that night, full of anticipation for the bare knuckle bout between the boxing legend and the MMA great, Mundell was in the opening fight of the event against Drew Lipton. David stopped him in spectacular fashion with a first round knockout. That same year, he would also knock out Ronnie Forney in round one at BKFC 8: Silva vs Gonzaga, yet another major milestone event for the promotion. A string of successes would lead him into the opportunity of a lifetime – to face UFC veteran and MMA great Hector Lombard at the main event of BKFC 10. Unfortunately, that would result in Mundell's first and only loss in bare knuckle fighting. After five long rounds and a proper battle, the judges had scored the fight in Lombard's favor, taking David back to the drawing board.
The loss to Lombard lit a fire under Mundell, and he went on a winning streak, defeating the always dangerous knockout artist Stanislav Grosu upon his return. Following that win, he defeated Ultimate Fighter veteran and all-around tough guy Julian Lane in a slugfest that had fans on the edge of their seats. Topping all of that – was a knockout win over David Simpson. These hard fought victories would get Mundell a date with destiny, as he would collide headfirst with Francesco Ricchi on December 3rd, 2022, at BKFC 34 for the Middleweight championship. Prior to this fight, Ricchi had been on a rampage with a 5-fight winning streak. Interestingly, he had knocked out Fred Pierce the night Mundell had lost to Lombard. It became apparent that Mundell had his hands full, but this is exactly what he wanted – a fight to prove himself as the top guy at BKFC. And boy did he! After three rounds of intense action, David Mundell had his hand raised as the new Middleweight champion.
What would follow was a series of very impressive title defenses that rightfully placed Mundell at the top of the P4P rankings. The first contender for his title was the absolute fan favorite and future Light heavyweight champion Mike "The Marine" Richman. Easily one of the toughest competitors in the sport, he had a reputation quite similar to David's as that of a fighter who never gives up and leaves his heart in the ring. During their match, Richman would go straight for Mundell, putting him in a very tough spot. However, it was David who would come out on top, knocking Mike out in Round 2. The second round knockout ending would become a trend. Mundell would go on to stop Doug Coltrane and Danny Christie in this exact fashion. Coltrane was a fierce contender on a 3-fight winning streak, earning his right to a main event spot against David at BKFC 53. However, he would fall short. A similar fate befell Christie, who faced Mundell at the very first BKFC on DAZN.
Now, holding the BKFC Middleweight championship and on a 7-fight winning streak, with only two matches going to a decision, David Mundell can rightfully say that he is truly the undisputed pound-for-pound king. He is the most dominant champion in Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship today, and without a doubt one of the absolute best to ever step inside the ring. However, he is about to face off against a new challenger, who just might be a mirror image of himself. In a callback to his earlier days – he will be facing a veteran fighter who never wants to have the bitter taste of loss again, and who is ready to go down swinging and never admit defeat. That challenger is the dangerous and exciting Donald Sanchez.
Donald Sanchez – A Man on a Mission
While David Mundell is the more experienced bare knuckle fighter, Donald Sanchez holds an edge in experience as a combat sports veteran. Having competed in Bellator, ACB and even ONE, Sanchez is a contender with over 50 matches under his belt. He has faced adversity and overcome it. He is as tough as they come, knows how to get up after a shot, and exactly how to push the pace forward. Although he is older than Mundell, Sanchez has managed to reinvent his career, and is now a bare knuckle powerhouse himself. All while fighting at the very top of the sport.
As we look at his BKFC career, we can start to see similarities between Donald and the reigning P4P king. Sanchez' debut was a loss to Jeremy Smith – a very tough fighter, who most fans remember from his legendary fight with MMA great Houston Alexander (as the main event of BKFC 43). Much like Mundell and Lombard, Sanchez took Smith to a decision, which Donald lost. Having suffered defeat in his bare knuckle debut, a fire was lit deep in Sanchez's belly, and he started to take his opposition by storm. Currently on one of the biggest winning streaks of his career, Donald has 5 wins in a row, decimating opponents left and right. Having fought three times in 2024, he has two vicious knockout victories within BKFC alone. In 2025 he took Harrison Aiken to a decision win, pushing Sanchez one more step towards Mundell.
What becomes apparent is that Donald Sanchez has a strong career resurgence and will not be backing down. With dreams of becoming a champion in his sights, he is not going to let anyone block him, even if that person is the current pound-for-pound best.
Mundell vs Sanchez – The Matchup
With the context of both fighters in place and the stage set and waiting, the only thing left to explore is how they stack up. As mentioned earlier, while Donald Sanchez is the overall more experienced fighter, David Mundell holds the edge where it counts the most – inside the bare knuckle ring. He has faced the best of the best, back-to-back and has improved after each encounter. To be fair, he holds an edge when compared to most other contenders in that regard as well. As we've seen with great fighters like boxing legend Paulie Malignaggi and UFC legend Luke Rockhold, the transition into bare knuckle fighting takes time, and there is a heavy price to pay – overall experience does not guarantee a victory. Another point is how they each handle adversity. While both fighters have proven themselves to be elite in that regard, Mundell holds an edge. Having people like Julian Lane, Francesco Ricchi and Mike Richman throw bombs at you, be able to take them, and then return bombs yourself is something magnificent.
Another point we must make here is recent activity. Sanchez has had 3 fights in 2024 alone and has already fought in 2025, while Mundell has had a single fight last year and is going up against Donald for his first this year. Sanchez is sharp and will not experience ring rust, while Mundell might need time to adjust.
From a stylistic perspective, Sanchez is more diverse. He has shown the ability to adapt in any situation – to be flexible and to take any small window of opportunity with abilities his opponents did not expect. He can pivot at any given point, and surprise both fans and opposition with something amazing. On the other hand, Mundell's style simply works. He is not reckless, but he is always willing to scrap. He uses his range effectively, and is a demanding presence when it comes to ring control. David Mundell cannot be bullied for position inside the ring.
Their physical attributes also tell a story. Donald Sanchez is taller and built like a truck. He's also on the heavier side of Middleweight. We could say that physically, he is the bigger man, but this is where it gets interesting. David Mundell has a massive reach advantage. This is important, considering he is known for his accuracy and work volume. Another thing to note is that Mundell has faced off against bigger opponents before – especially in the case of 6'4" Francesco Ricchi. But to be fair, Donald Sanchez is quite adept at using his size, and has fought both heavier and lighter in the past.
What You Need to Know to Watch BKFC
The main event of BKFC 75 is going to be as great as it gets. But don't ignore the fantastic rest of the card, which is remarkably interesting, too.
- Eric Dodson will collide with Stevo Morris
- Murat Kilimetov will welcome the debut of Jeramy Karshner to the cruiserweight division
- Veterans Derek Perez and Rick Caruso will clash
- Along with many other exciting matchups all throughout the card
How to Watch BKFC 75
You can watch BKFC 75 Albuquerque: David Mundell vs Donald Sanchez on TrillerTV on June 7th. Tune in to see how this stacked card will unfold. Watch some of the most intense bare knuckle battles, all leading up to the absolute highlight of the night. You definitely do not want to miss the return of the BKFC P4P king Dave Mundell in action as he faces off with Donald Sanchez. And you don't have to, because it's all right here on TrillerTV.
An opinion piece by Ivan Spasov
Editor-In-Chief at TrillerTV
