COVENTRY fighter, James ‘The Lionheart’ Dixon, claimed a stoppage win in his Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) debut at the Skydome Arena.
Fighting in his hometown, the owner and head coach at Lions Gym in Hillfields dropped opponent Tommy Galbraith four times en route to a second round stoppage victory.
Dixon, who has a background in mixed martial arts, felt he could have performed better despite securing a dominant win on debut.
Dixon said: “It wasn’t a great performance, but it’s been a year and eight months since I fought, and I think that showed. It wasn’t how I know I can box, but I got the win, I’ll be back, and I’ll show my academy and my students what I’m made of.
“I’ve said for a while that I wanted to try bare knuckle, and it’s been a great change of pace. Bare Knuckle got in touch and they know that I’m built for this.
“I saw their event in Milton Keynes and I was taken away by the production. They’ve treated me so well during this fight week and it’s a fantastic promotion. With the likes of McGregor on board now it’s only going to get bigger.”
And Dixon’s Lions Gym students have supported his move into bare knuckle fighting.
Dixon added: “Everyone is happy. They know how I spar and how I fight and the whole gym stands behind me.
“I’ve managed to create such a great culture in what is a really deprived area of Coventry and it’s a beautiful family. Whichever combat sport I pursue, everyone at Lions Gym will be behind me.”
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