COMBAT SPORTS
Dodson, at long last, gets a fight
Albuquerque native scheduled to challenge for the BKFC bantamweight title; Fuller wins at APFC 25
If all goes according to plan, John Dodson鈥檚 27-month bare-knuckle drought will end Oct. 17.
The Albuquerque native is scheduled to face Jamel Herring that night in Newark, New Jersey, BKFC, the bare-knuckle sport鈥檚 most successful promotional firm, announced on Sunday.
Dodson (4-0-1 bare-knuckle, 3-0-1 BKFC), the reigning BKFC flyweight (125-pound) champion, would be moving up a weight class to challenge Herring (2-0) for the organization鈥檚 bantamweight (135-pound) belt.
Dodson hasn鈥檛 fought in BKFC competition since March 29, 2024, when he drew with Dagoberto Aguero at Tingley Coliseum. Three months later, he defeated Takaki Soya by unanimous decision in a bare-knuckle fight in Japan.
Ricky Kottenstette, Dodson鈥檚 agent, confirmed the matchup via text but said there remain contractual details to be resolved.
鈥淗oping to sign his final three-fight deal this week,鈥� Kottenstette wrote.
Kottenstette said Chelsea Dodson, John鈥檚 wife and a recent BKFC signee, will not make her debut on the Oct. 17 card.
鈥淚 won鈥檛 have them on the same card,鈥� he wrote.
Unlike Dodson, who moved to bare-knuckle after an outstanding MMA career, Herring, 40, is a former Olympic boxer and a former World Boxing Organization junior lightweight (130-pound) champion. Herring made his BKFC debut with a victory by unanimous decision over Matt Guymon on Jan. 17 of this year, then defeated Michael Larrimore by unanimous decision to claim the previously vacant bantamweight title.
Dodson, 41, best known for his quickness as an MMA fighter 鈥� earning the nickname 鈥淭he Magician鈥� 鈥� has proven to be a destructive puncher as a bare-knuckle fighter. His three BKFC victories, all first-round stoppages, lasted a total of 4 minutes, 10 seconds.
In his draw with Aguero, Dodson scored a knockdown in the first round but was floored once in each of the second and third rounds. Needing to win the fourth and fifth rounds on the official scorecards to salvage a draw, he did so.
Some fans were expecting a sixth 鈥渙vertime鈥� round to settle things, but it turned out New Mexico Athletic Commission rules do not provide for it.
FULLER WINS: As reported by cagedminds.com, Rio Rancho MMA fighter Jalin Fuller successful defended his APFC welterweight (170-pound) title with a victory by second-round submission (Ninja choke) over Christian Lohsen on Sunday at Isleta Resort & Casino.
Fuller is 11-4 and is riding a four-fight win streak 鈥� five, if his Muay Thai victory over Zach Bunnell in January 2025 is included. Lohsen, of Deland, Florida, is 12-3.
The Fuller-Lohsen fight was the main event of APFC 25.
