David Feldman explains what separates BKFC from other combat sports promotions: ‘We’re actually selling all our tickets’
There are a lot of different metrics to measure the success or failure of a combat sports promotion but perhaps one of the biggest indicators comes down to ticket sales. For BKFC, that might be the most telling sign that the bare-knuckle outfit has surpassed almost every other competitor out there.
With a debut card scheduled in Spain on Saturday, BKFC is embarking on a massive stretch of events that likely culminates with the organization going to Philadelphia for the first time ever in December. While organizations like the UFC proudly tout the live gate after an event, ticket sales for other promotions are rarely ever talked about.
BKFC founder and president David Feldman has a feeling he knows why.
“The UFC sells tickets,” Feldman explained when speaking to MMA Fighting. “The big, big boxing matches, they sell tickets. The smaller ones, the mid-ones don’t. The mid-MMA companies, they’re not selling tickets. Obviously the smaller [MMA promotions] are, they’re selling 1,000 tickets. Not really selling.”
When to BKFC, Feldman proudly talks about the promotion’s ticket sales because those numbers of steadily increased ever since the first show launched back in 2018.
There have been a number of sellouts over the years with BKFC 63 in Sturgis, S.D. setting a new record with 15,000 in attendance for a card headlined by strawweight women’s champion Britain Hart.
Feldman admits BKFC’s ability to sell tickets has become one of his proudest achievements, especially when it comes to drumming up more interest in potential investors looking to bet on a combat sports promotion.
“It’s actually my pitch to investors,” Feldman said. “I go ‘listen, we’re actually one of the only promotions in the world that sells tickets.’
“We just sold 5,400 tickets this past weekend. We’re projected to sell 6,700 tickets in Spain and then Denver, we’ll probably do 4,000 tickets there and then we’re doing Poland in December, Montana, All these shows coming up, they should really be a minimum of 4,000 tickets sold. Actually sold and that’s a big deal right now in combat sports because they’re not all sold. A lot of them are papered up.”
“Papered up” means tickets being given away for free to fill an arena, which happens quite often in combat sports.
Feldman admits there was definitely a time when BKFC gave away more tickets than the organization sold but that’s just not the case any longer.
“I won’t lie to you — I might have lied to you five years ago and said we sold 3,000 tickets when we only sold 1,000,” Feldman said. “But now we’re actually selling all our tickets.
“We might give away three or four percent of our tickets right now but we’re selling it all.”
With ticket sales on the rise, a new broadcast deal in place with DAZN and Conor McGregor on board as a co-owner now, Feldman expects 2024 to be the biggest year yet for BKFC and he’s anticipating an even bigger 2025.
“We thought we were out of business 10 different times and we just found a way to make it happen and make it work,” Feldman said. “I don’t see any end in sight. I think we got a really great shot right now of knocking on the No. 1’s door.”