Freeman believes bareknuckle boxing can get even bigger

Jim Freeman reckons his bareknuckle boxing business could be as big as the UFC.
Local businessman Jim Freeman is staging the latest BKB show in London this weekendLocal businessman Jim Freeman is staging the latest BKB show in London this weekend
Local businessman Jim Freeman is staging the latest BKB show in London this weekend

Freeman’s show at the O2 Indigo this Saturday night is set to be a sell out and millions more could be watching on television.

The fights will be screened live across Europe and on delay in the United Kingdom on Vice.

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“To get a TV deal is a massive breakthrough,” said Freeman, who is based in Wellingborough and runs several businesses in the area.

“We had people around the world watching our last show and the way I see it, the sky is the limit.

“The aim is to be as big as the UFC. I believe we will be the next big combat sport.”

Freeman says the sport’s appeal is down to its explosiveness.

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“It’s high impact stuff and we get knockouts because everyone comes to win and takes risks,’’ he said.

“We match them fairly. It’s not like a pro show when you turn up knowing who’s going to win. I accept that technically, some of our fighters aren’t the best – and we match them with others who aren’t the best technically.

“We don’t have home and away fighters. They are all our lads and they get matched fairly.”

This weekend’s show is huge, topped by a fight between Jimmy Sweeney and Sean Goerge.

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Freeman says the seven-round scrap is ‘’bareknuckle boxing’s equivalent of Floyd Mayweather jr against Vasyl Lomachenko – to decide the pound-for-pound No 1.’’

Sweeney is widely considered the best in the brutal business.

The Irishman can become a three-weight world champion by taking the lightweight belt off George this weekend – and says he owes a lot to Freeman.

He explained: “Every fight I’ve trained with Jim, I’ve won.

“He’s in the gym with me pushing me hard. He’s as fit as the fighters, but he would never get in the ring with me. He knows I’d batter him !”