‘No Turning Back’ goes ahead in Connecticut on Saturday, March 28.
It features three world-title fights – and the return of a bareknuckle legend.
DJ Linderman is back after 10 months away to chase history.
‘Da Protégé’ is already in the record books as a world heavyweight champion and says he wants to reclaim the belt and become bridgerweight champion as well.
DJ means business!
The pinnacle of his 20-year fighting career was surely when he took the heavyweight belt off Tony Lopez in 2022.
That was followed by a knockout-of-the-year contender in his first defence before he was dethroned.
We haven’t seen him in the trigon since last May when he got himself back in contention with a points win over Terrell Jamal Woods.
Next is Braxton Smith and at around 260 lbs and with a fighting CV includes a spell in the UFC, he’s only to be a handful.
Braxton has yet to hear the final bell so expect fireworks in another big fight on a show that is packed with them.
BKB 53 – that goes ahead in Niagra Fall on April 17 – is also taking shape with fights being added over the last few days.
Robert Duran jr – the son of the legendary Roberto Duran – returns on that card against Austin Spivey who has won both fights by KO.
BKB 53 is topped by the return of Lorawnt T ‘Smash’ Nelson.
Marko Martinjak claims he – rather than ‘Smash’ – is the pound-for-pound best bareknuckle boxer on the planet and you can make your own mind up when ‘Smash’ returns to the trigon for his first fight of 2026.
‘Smash’ defends against Mark Tiffin and he’s convinced he will shock the world.
Keep watching to see if he can pull off the sporting shock of the year.
Until next week
Joe Smith-Brown
(Co founder, BKB)