Harrisburg, PA – The Commonwealth’s first sanctioned bare-knuckle fighting event proved to be an undeniable success, reports the Department of State’s State Athletic Commission (SAC).
Last month’s KnuckleMania V at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia drew 17,762 fans to the arena with ticket sales of $2.15 million, SAC Executive Director Ed Kunkle said. That includes generating $107,500 in revenue for SAC so it can continue to be financially self-sufficient and not use taxpayer dollars to regulate or sanction contact sporting events like this one.
“We expected this would be a successful event,” said Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt, who attended, “but the level of success has blown us away. The SAC team is doing an admirable job with its oversight of these major events, and I look forward to future contact sporting events.”
KnuckleMania V featured 10 main card events and two preliminary card events. It included the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship’s (BKFC) World Heavyweight Title fight with Ben Rothwell defeating Mick Terrill via first-round knockout. The main event pitted Philly native Eddie “The Underground King” Alvarez against Jeremy Stephens, with Stephens prevailing after a third-round TKO.
“KnuckleMania delivered an unforgettable night of action at the Wells Fargo Center. Fans packed the arena for an electrifying lineup of fights, solidifying the event as one of the biggest in the city’s rich history,” said Kunkle, who began as executive director in late 2023 and oversaw a very successful 2024 highlighted by WWE’s WrestleMania XL and multiple professional boxing title fights. “It seemed that everyone who attended had an absolute blast, and having Eddie Alvarez fight in the main event – as well as many other Philly-area fighters participating in undercard events – added a special homegrown feel. This felt like the start of something big for Pennsylvania and the State Athletic Commission.”
The sold-out event was the biggest in BKFC history and was also aired live globally to millions of fans on DAZN, a live sports streaming service.
Said BKFC Founder/President David Feldman: “I couldn’t be any happier with the result of KnuckleMania. We broke the combat sport attendance record in Philadelphia and had amazing fights to top it off. Ed Kunkle and the entire Pennsylvania State Athletic Commission made the process very easy for us to have a successful event. We look forward to hosting many more great events in the city of Philadelphia, as well as throughout the state of Pennsylvania.”
SAC is responsible for licensing and medically clearing participating fighters; licensing corner persons; and assigning licensed referees, inspectors, judges, timekeepers, and doctors for combat sports like MMA, professional boxing, kickboxing/Muay-Tai, and professional wrestling.
Kunkle noted there will be another BKFC event titled Fight Night Philly, which is scheduled for Friday, March 21, at 2300 Arena in Philadelphia.