Chris Camozzi Is Interested in ‘Shock Value’ of Bare-Knuckle Boxing

Chris Camozzi is thrilled by the challenges bare-knuckle boxing offers ahead of his championship clash at BKFC 50.

Ultimate Fighting Championship and Professional Fighters League alum Camozzi decided he was up to a new challenge when he signed with BKFC in 2022. His stint thus far includes two first-round knockout victories that earned him a shot at the 205-pound championship currently held by Lorenzo Hunt. Camozzi and Hunt will collide in the BKFC 50 main event, which will go down on Sept. 22. Ahead of his assignment, Chris expressed his excitement about fighting in Denver, Colorado, a city known for its support of combat sports. He discussed the potential impact of Denver's altitude on the fight and his expectation of a supportive crowd. One of the aspects Camozzi appreciates about combat sports is their diversity. Each discipline, whether it's kickboxing, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, wrestling, or bare-knuckle boxing, offers a unique set of challenges. His ability to switch between these disciplines demonstrates his versatility as a fighter and a deep respect for the skills required in each. However, he believes bare-knuckle boxing is currently the only one with that ‘wow’ factor.

“Even though [bareknuckle boxing] was a sport hundreds of years ago, it being so much newer, it has that shock value again where I think MMA, people have become so normalized to it, whereas it used to kind of have that shock value. People would be like, ‘Oh my God, I can't believe you do that.’ That's bare-knuckle now. Plus, it's what Dave Feldman, the president… they call boxing ‘the sweet science,’ and Feldman calls BKFC ‘the sweeter science.’ He is kind of right in a way. You have to be pretty accurate because if you hit an elbow or anything like that with your bare fist, your hand's shattering. Things have to be precise even though when you watch it, you see a lot of guys just swinging, putting their head down and swinging. I think that to get out of that healthy and be able to fight again soon, you gotta be real precise with it. Plus, one little graze of a punch will cut you open, whereas, in MMA, you have the gloves on. It's just a new challenge. The opportunity came at the right time, the money is good. Then, just the whole challenge of a new sport and being able to adapt new things to it, where I think this fight, you're gonna see some different things that you haven't seen other BKFC guys do.”

(00:00) Intro
(00:08) His passion for hunting
(01:21) Fighting in his hometown, Denver
(02:07) Combat sports in Denver
(02:45) Whether he thinks altitude will be a factor in the fight
(03:16) Having his supporters cheering for him
(04:08) His take on Hunt’s fighting style
(04:32) Predicting a second-round knockout
(05:02) Fighting at 205 pounds
(05:51) The improvements in his lifestyle since stopping cutting weight
(06:29) His PFL run
(07:31) His love for combat sports
(08:41) Switching from training Brazilian jiu-jitsu to boxing
(09:10) Whether he prefers striking or grappling
(09:33) What he loves about bare-knuckle boxing
(11:11) Outro