Miami, FL – February 3, 2026 – BKB Naked Knuckle Boxing immediately introduced the marquee signing in a multi-fight, multi-year deal, of Yuriorkis Gamboa, the Cuban sensation famend for his explosive energy and embellished profession in gloved boxing. Gamboa, an Olympic gold medalist and multi-weight world champion, will make his naked knuckle debut with BKB within the coming months, setting his sights on capturing the world championship and cementing his legacy within the rawest, most explosive, and most entertaining fight sport.
Gamboa, nicknamed “El Ciclon de Guantanamo” for his whirlwind model, brings an unimaginable stage of status to BKB. Because the 2004 Olympic gold medalist within the flyweight division, he represented Cuba on the worldwide stage earlier than pursuing an expert profession that spanned from 2007 to 2022.
As an expert, Gamboa (30-5, 18 KOs) held the WBA featherweight world title from 2009 – 2011, earlier than unifying it with the IBF world title from 2010 – 2011, when he grew to become the first-ever Cuban boxer to say an IBF world title. He additionally held WBA interim world titles within the tremendous featherweight and light-weight divisions, and challenged pound-for-pound stars, and future hall-of-famers within the likes of Terence Crawford, Devin Haney, Gervonta Davis, and Isaac ‘Pitbull’ Cruz, for world titles within the mild weight division.
Terence Crawford has repeatedly named Gamboa because the hardest-hitting opponent he has ever confronted, stating that Gamboa “caught me with the toughest punch” and describing the struggle as one of many hardest in his profession.
Gamboa’s choice to affix BKB Naked Knuckle was sparked by his attendance at BKB 50, the place he was stunned by the large scale of the occasion, the electrical ambiance, and the skilled manufacturing. Impressed by the power and the fighter-first atmosphere, he expressed his want to signal instantly, desirous to compete beneath the premier naked knuckle promotion.
Olympic Gold Medalist, Yuriorkis Gamboa, mentioned: “Naked knuckle boxing is the oldest type of boxing. After successful an Olympic gold medal, world championships in boxing, now I’m centered and excited to develop into BKB Naked Knuckle World Champion. I’m going to showcase my expertise and present why I belong on the very prime of this sport.”
Mike Vazquez, Founding father of BKB Naked Knuckle, mentioned: “It’s an honour to welcome Yurorkis to reveal knuckle, and I can’t wait to see his expertise and pedigree on show within the trigon. We’ve acquired some unimaginable Cuban fighters on our roster, together with our heavyweight world champion. This 12 months we’re going to see increasingly more elite fighters be part of our international roster of over 200 fighters from over 30 international locations.”
David Tetreault, CEO of BKB Naked Knuckle, mentioned: “Yuriorkis Gamboa is a game-changer for BKB. His Olympic pedigree, world titles, and battles towards the very best in boxing make this our most vital signing but. We’re thrilled to welcome him as he chases naked knuckle immortality.”
Gamboa joins an elite roster that features fellow world champion boxer Paulie Malignaggi, who efficiently transitioned to reveal knuckle with BKB, delivering an exciting, classic efficiency in his Combat of the Night time return at BKB 47 towards Tyler Goodjohn. Malignaggi will face reigning champion Rolando Dy for the BKB Tremendous Welterweight World Championship in Manchester on Saturday sixteenth Could 2026.
This newest marquee signing additional showcases BKB’s enchantment to boxing legends searching for new challenges in a sport that calls for unfiltered grit and willpower. Extra main signings are set to be introduced within the coming months.
This newest milestone second for BKB underscores its standing as the important thing power driving naked knuckle boxing ahead. From its origins in 2015 as BYB Excessive Combating Collection, based by MMA pioneer Dhafir “Dada 5000” Harris and Mike Vazquez, BKB has remodeled the game from yard roots right into a structured, regulated, and globally distributed skilled powerhouse.
Via strategic acquisitions, together with the unique UK-based BKB in 2021 and Dangerous To The Bone in 2025, the promotion has constructed the very best secure within the sport, and pioneered the expansion of naked knuckle boxing globally. Embracing a fighter-first philosophy that prioritizes athlete welfare, growth, and alternative, BKB has secured landmark broadcast offers with talkSPORT (unique within the UK and Eire), VICE (US and Canada), and Telemundo (Spanish-language within the US), delivering stay occasions to hundreds of thousands and attracting the most important international audiences within the sport’s historical past.
Particulars on Gamboa’s debut struggle and upcoming occasions might be introduced quickly.
