Robert Valentin will test skills with Ateba Gautier at UFC 318: Holloway vs. Poirier 3 on July 19th.

Valentin appeared on Bowks Talking Bouts to touch on multiple topics like: -fighting someone here that people call the middleweight Francis Ngannou, and how much juice he feels like he can get out of achieving his idealistic outcome here

-his efforts cross-training at Bangtao Muay Thai and Syndicate MMA (while out in Las Vegas) in recent times

-big names that are listed from Syndicate MMA like Merab Dvalishvili and Khalil Rountree Jr.

-working with Shara Bullet in Thailand relatively recently

-thoughts on the Poirier vs. Holloway trilogy bout for the BMF title that headlines this card he's on as the former embarks on his swan song octagon outing

-how much this moment means for him, considering past comments where he said he would die for big UFC opportunities like this

-being an active middleweight fighter in the context of his thoughts on Dricus du Plessis defending his 185-pound title against Khamzat Chimaev in the UFC 319 headliner

-being on Team Grasso when he was on The Ultimate Fighter, Zhang Weili also working out of Bangtao, and if we end up seeing the Zhang Weili vs. Valentina Shevchenko super fight next

Karim Henniene will now take on Asiashu Tshitamba at PFL Africa 1 on July 19th. At the time of this recording, Antero dos Santos was the initial opponent for Henniene before dos Santos withdrew.

Henniene appeared on MMA Canada to cover several subjects, such as: -how it feels being on a massive international stage like this as part of PFL's continued global expansion efforts

-Xavier Alaoui fighting on the PFL MENA circuit recently, and the tight ties that he has with Alaoui as both refine their skills

-Alaoui having a history of cornering Henniene since the amateur days and how that will continue for this Cape Town clash

-his last time appearing on this network being ahead of his pro MMA debut, and what the biggest differences are from Henniene, then in our first interview, compared to where he is at now

-working at Kill Cliff FC and Bangtao Muay Thai over the years

-working with Rafael Fiziev in Thailand and thoughts on Fiziev's recent win at UFC Baku to get back on track

-coming into MMA with a judo base in the context of his thoughts on decorated judoka Kayla Harrison winning the UFC championship

-getting a photo op with Dana White in Toronto at Unified MMA 55 that took place during the UFC 297 fight week

-fighting in some of Canada's biggest regional shows before embarking on this debut effort in the PFL Smart Cage

-being excited to see Francis Ngannou cageside and the elation with fighting in front of the PFL Africa chairman

-looking to be the first Algerian-Canadian to win the PFL belt

Sebastian Fundora will engage in a high-stakes rematch with Tim Tszyu on July 19th in the co-main event underneath Mario Barrios vs. Manny Pacquiao for the former's WBC welterweight crown.

Fundora appeared on Bowks Talking Bouts to cover several subjects, such as: -if this Tszyu rematch seemed like an inevitability after their barnburner of an initial bout

-Tszyu's narrative about the cut he received from an errant elbow affecting their first fight, and if Fundora wants to silence any of those narratives from their initial contest

-the influence that Manny Pacquiao has had on his fighting journey and what this moment of sharing a card with Pac Man means to him

-what his thoughts are on being stripped of the WBO junior middleweight title relatively recently

-thoughts on his sister Garbiela becoming the youngest undisputed champion, male or female, in the history of boxing at 22 years old

-taking in a CMLL show recently at ringside with his sister, and how in a different life, Fundora would have been a pro wrestler himself

-if he would be interested in being in a tag team with the smallest wrestler on the roster for the contrast in heights

-being the tallest champion in boxing pound-for-pound today

-the entertainment component being centred to Fundora's approach, who could easily use his reach to actively stay on the outside, but the champion engages in exciting in-fighting exchanges frequently

-having back-and-forths with Terence Crawford over the years in the context of his thoughts on the upcoming Crawford vs. Canelo fight

-the potential for future prizefights against the likes of Jaron Ennis and Xander Zayas while remaining squarely focused on Tszyu

-not believing this rematch will go the distance, and if there's a particular juncture in the fight that he sees the stoppage coming

Sean Wheelock is a massive figure within BKFC, has done commentary for promotions like Bellator as well as Pride (to name but a couple), and prepares for a big broadcasting gig on Netflix as part of the on-air team for Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano 3.

Wheelock appeared on Bowks Talking Bouts and covered multiple topics like: -the magnitude of the Taylor versus Serrano III matchup, and the magnitude of the overall card by proxy

-Why he has enjoyed helming the 'rules and scoring' role on fight card broadcasts so much

-his prior time at Madison Square Garden, proper, being at a WWF show in the context of the reports that Vince McMahon wanted to get involved in some facet with BKFC

-the recent seven-year anniversary of the inaugural BKFC card and his role, with building this brand, as well as the overall sport

-BKFC having multiple shows in their home-base city of Philadelphia this year which saw them break a Philly combat sports record

-Alberto Blas signing with BKB and the BKFC bantamweight title being vacated

-being Pride's final English language commentator in the context of his thoughts on how Darkside of the Cage captured the story of Pride's rise and fall

-Conor McGregor's comments about wanting Fedor to come on board with BKFC in a division helmed by champion Ben Rothwell, with Andrei Arlovski recently having a successful debut, also

-Commentating well over a hundred Bellator events in the context of his thoughts on former welterweight champion Ben Askren posting his recent update video after receiving a double lung transplant

Andrew Strode battles Gee Perez for the interim BKFC flyweight championship at BKFC 78 on July 12th.

Strode was the latest guest on Bare Knuckle Bowker and touched on several subjects, such as: -fighting for his first world title as a professional and this being his first time fighting at the Hard Rock

-grading himself a D or a C+ for his performance last time out that saw him defeat stalwart flyweight contender Tyler Randall

-how this interim title opportunity came about after several respectful efforts to fight BKFC flyweight champion John Dodson who has been more actively competing under the Rizin banner

-feeling like this isn't an interim title fight and that this contest with Perez is for the true flyweight championship

-believing a title unification bout with John Dodson does happen

-having close to two hundred amateur gloved boxing bouts as well as several professional gloved boxing bouts but wanting to be known as one of the great bare-knuckle fighters in the sport

-thoughts on Perez who is BKFC's cutman but is also someone with an established resume as a BKFC fighter and gloved boxer

-getting in past work with Terence Crawford in the context of his thoughts on the looming Crawford vs. Canelo fight this year

-getting in past work with Teofimo Lopez and Rolly Romero in the context of his thoughts on their performances at that Time's Square card earlier in the year

-The headlining fight on this card with Leonardo Perdomo taking on former multi-time BKFC heavyweight champion Arnold Adams

-feeling like John Dodson is running away from him a bit here

-if he would ever want a fight with Alberto Blas someday

-wanting a fight with BKFC featherweight champion Kai Stewart

-wanting to become a three weight division BKFC champ someday

-losing his son and son's mother in a prior tragedy in the context of how much he shows reverence to their memory while using it as a driving force to want to achieve things for them

-his dad training him in the sweet science and how he has a hundred people coming down with him to Florida for this one

-working alongside Devin Haney before and his thoughts on Haney's looming bout vs. Brian Norman Jr. for the WBO welterweight belt

-prior work in the gym with Gervonta 'Tank' Davis and thoughts on the seemingly looming Lamont Roach rematch for August

-July marking his anniversary in combat sports and how this Perez title fight represents the twentieth anniversary of him fighting

Jessica Eye defeated Mariya Agapova by unanimous decision at BKFC 76: Bonner vs. Soto on June 21st.

Eye was the latest guest on Bare Knuckle Bowker and delved into multiple topics like: -if this debut effort in bare-knuckle boxing played out relative to how she imagined that it would

-unintentionally slapping her opponent during her BKFC bout

-returning to combat sports after nearly a three-year hiatus from live competition and overcoming serious health issues along the way from her UFC swan song to her BKFC debut

-if her BKFC journey is more oriented to contending for titles, or if it's on a case-by-case basis of taking on big-name challenges

-wanting to explore gloved boxing opportunities going forward

-not thinking it would be fair to jump right into a BKFC title shot

-therapy work and guided psilocybin experiences creating a certain zen mindset and groundedness in the present moment

-Conor McGregor's excitement for Eye's BKFC signing and subsequent debut effort inside the ring

-fighting on two of the McGregor vs Poirier cards through their trilogy, and some fighters who could potentially be curious to try out bare-knuckle boxing

-fighting Valentina Shevchenko for UFC gold, her cancelled Manon Fiorot fight, and her thoughts on the Shevchenko vs. Fiorot title fight that took place at UFC 315 in Montreal

-making a point to tune into Cynthia Calvillo, Cat Zingano, Maycee Barber, and Bec Rawlings fights

-moving out to Florida being part of her journey, her prior history training at Strong Style, and picking the brains of Strong Style compatriots like Chad Kelly, as well as former BKB featherweight champ Brandon Birr, who are active in gloveless combat

-if a Paige VanZant is on her radar at all in BKFC or otherwise

-expressing interest in pro wrestling at the press conference for her last UFC fight, and if that's something she's actively pursuing

-fighting Maycee Barber in Eye's final UFC fight and reaching out to Barber after her reported health scare amid the last-minute bout pullout from her fight with Erin Blanchfield

-wanting to open a gym in the Fort Lauderdale area someday

-the 'weird' kiss from Agapova at the BKFC Texas faceoffs and the way that the internet latched onto that clip

Mario Barrios defends his WBC welterweight world title against the legendary Manny Pacquiao on July 19th.

Barrios appeared on Bowks Talking Bouts to cover several subjects, such as: -this fight representing the kind of opponent he has always dreamed of fighting against someday

-his last fight being on the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson card, in the context of his thoughts on Paul vs. Chavez Jr. this weekend

-being on multiple Canelo Alvarez cards, in the context of his thoughts on the Canelo vs. Crawford fight that is coming up

-previously fighting Gervonta 'Tank' Davis, his thoughts on the Davis vs. Roach majority draw in March, and how a possible Davis vs. Roach rematch could play out compared to their first fight

-if he's feeling overlooked in this fight as the defending champion, with Pacquiao being such a sympathetic character here as he attempts a massive legacy move in this comeback to the ring

-wanting to move up in weight someday, and if he has a peripheral awareness of the co-main event on this card with Sebastian Fundora and Tim Tszyu battling for the WBC World and WBO World Super Welterweight Titles

Costello Van Steenis will vie for Johnny Eblen's middleweight belt at PFL Africa 1 on July 19th.

Van Steenis appeared on Bowks Talking Bouts and touched on multiple topics like: -if this inaugural PFL Africa card feels like a massive moment in his career, and for the promotion by proxy

-the influence of Francis Ngannou as the PFL Africa chairman and if it's a great time to be part of the PFL fold here

-Eblen being on his radar for a while in the context of his thoughts on the champ's resume and overall skillset

-his prior fight marking his PFL debut, scoring a sub-one-minute KO, and if it felt a great deal different fighting under their banner compared to his Bellator MMA tenure

-previously fighting Jake Bostwick, who also infamously sparred Jake Paul ahead of Paul's fight with Ben Askren, in the context of his thoughts on the Jake Paul vs. Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. fight this weekend

-many people seeing Eblen as one of, if not the best, middleweight MMA fighters today in the context of where a win here would put him in the overall hierarchy of 185-pound fighters in the sport

-if it adds a certain chip on his shoulder to be overlooked by many leading into this fight against the unbeaten middleweight champion

-what the headlines will read after this PFL Africa 1 title fight

-his history training with Gegard Mousasi and the former multi-promotion champion potentially being done as an MMA fighter

-Mousasi having the prior experience of fighting Eblen, and what insights the former has given him for fighting the latter here

-wanting to bring the belt and also a PFL event back to Spain

-MMA fighters who put on for Spain in the context of his thoughts on Ilia Topuria's fight this weekend vs. Charles Oliveira at UFC 317