The highly anticipated rematch between Connor Tierney and Rico Franco is set to headline BKFC 90 this weekend. An undercard competitor, George Hillyard, a former BKB (Bare Knuckle Boxing) fighter, has offered his insights on the upcoming interim BKFC welterweight championship bout. The fight will take place in Birmingham on May 30th.
Hillyard, who is making his own appearance on the BKFC 90 card against Luke Brassfield, previously competed in the same gloveless combat sport as Franco and Tierney. He shared his thoughts on the rematch with Bare Knuckle Bowker, expressing his belief that while Rico Franco will likely emerge victorious again, the fight will not be as swift as their initial encounter.
“Yeah, I do. I do. Well, I don’t see it being the same way as [the first fight],” Hillyard stated. “I still see it being the same victorious, but I don’t think it’ll be as quick as what people think it’s going to be, if that makes sense. I think we’ll see a little bit more action from it.”
BKFC 90: A Look Back at Tierney vs. Franco I
The first bout between Connor Tierney and Rico Franco occurred on March 19th, 2019, at BKB 16. In that contest, held as part of the prizefighter lightweight semi-finals, Rico Franco secured a decisive victory over Tierney with a knockout that ended the fight just seconds after it began. This win propelled Franco to the tournament finals, where he went on to defeat James Connelly.
This loss marked Tierney’s first defeat in bare-knuckle boxing. Now, under the BKFC banner and in a new era, the two fighters are set to clash once more. Both combatants have achieved European and UK championship status within BKFC. While Franco has previously vied for a world title, neither has yet captured a world championship in the promotion. This weekend, one will take a significant step closer to that goal by claiming the interim 165-pound belt in what is poised to be a compelling ‘repeat or revenge’ showdown.
