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Crazy Heavyweight Exclusive! Gonzaga vs. “Big Foot” Silva – BKFC 8

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Former UFC heavyweight contenders Gabriel Gonzaga and Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva squared off under the bare-knuckle banner in Tampa.

On October 19, 2019, BKFC 8 brought a high-profile heavyweight showdown to the Florida State Fairgrounds Entertainment Hall. The contest marked the debut of both former UFC veterans in a bare-knuckle ring, drawing notable spectators including Wanderlei Silva, Fabricio Werdum, and Anthony “Rumble” Johnson.

• Gabriel Gonzaga secured a knockout victory over Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva at 1:50 of the second round.
• Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva weighed in at 284.2 pounds, significantly outweighing Gonzaga, who hit the scales at 260.6 pounds.
• The undercard included a record-breaking one-second knockdown by Abdiel Velazquez during his second-round TKO victory over Rick Caruso.

The Main Event Clash

Silva entered the bout attempting to break a difficult streak, having lost five consecutive MMA appearances prior to this matchup. Gonzaga utilized a disciplined approach, keeping his distance to navigate the size disparity caused by Silva’s 284.2-pound weigh-in. The technical edge proved decisive as Gonzaga navigated the clinch and trading exchanges to land the fight-ending blow.

Gabriel Gonzaga successfully managed the distance to secure a knockout victory at 1:50 of the second round.

Supporting Card Results

The co-main event saw Jim “The Beast” Alers secure a victory over Julian Lane, earning a TKO stoppage 53 seconds into the second round. The action remained consistent across the undercard, particularly in the tactical display from Dat Nguyen. Nguyen outperformed Travis Thompson over five rounds, securing a unanimous decision victory with judges scoring the bout 50-45, 50-45, and 49-46.

High-Impact Moments

Beyond the main event, the card was defined by its aggressive pacing. Abdiel Velazquez provided one of the most remarkable moments of the night by dropping Rick Caruso with a strike just one second after the opening bell. Velazquez went on to finish the fight via TKO in the second round, highlighting the Boxing and MMA promotion’s emphasis on high-stakes, instant-action scenarios.

With his victory in Tampa, Gonzaga improved to 1-0 in bare-knuckle competition, successfully snapping the rough 1-5 slide he suffered in his final six appearances inside the Octagon.