BKFC 76 Picks for Bare-Knuckle Boxing Bouts on June 21

We’ve got some BKFC 76 picks for you! If you’re wondering why we decided to preview this event and share some betting predictions, it’s because this one’s gonna be a real spectacle.

The event is scheduled for Saturday, June 21, at the Dickies Arena in in Fort Worth, Texas. We predict the headliner will be a real thriller – the clash between Ben Bonner and Tony Soto – and we expect to see some fireworks in the debut fights of former UFC stars, Andrei Arlovski, Jessica Eye, and others.

Bonner vs. Soto Preview: Time for Soto to Rebound

We’ll start with our BKFC 76 picks with one for the main event of the evening, in which Antonio Soto III, a.k.a. “Loco,” will try to rebound after the first loss of his bare-knuckle boxing career.

After going 6-0 in bare-knuckle boxing, Tony Soto was given a shot at the BKFC Lightweight title. Unfortunately for him, he lost the battle to Franco Tenaglia, who beat him by majority decision.

The two were meant to meet again in a rematch at BKFC 76 Texas, but Tenaglia pulled out of the fight. British boxer Ben Bonner stepped in to save the day, despite getting a short notice.

Nevertheless, he’s a dangerous striker who must be respected. This guy brutally KO-ed Lewis Kean in his last fight, which made Conor McGregor freak out in the audience.

Conor loved his performance, but we doubt he can repeat it. At least not against such a seasoned pro as Soto.

Andrei Arlovski vs. Josh Copeland: Two 42-Year-Olds Going For a KO

Andrei Arlovski is making his bare-knuckle boxing debut on June 21 against Josh Copeland, who also doesn’t have too much experience with this sport. He’s fought three times so far, losing once (to Ben Rothwell) and winning two fights (against Levi Costa and Steve Herelius).

Copeland is big, powerful, and tough to knock out, but he’s slow and technically nowhere near as good as Arlovski. The former UFC Heavyweight champion is just levels above him when striking is concerned. That said, we’re almost certain that he’s gonna get a win at BKFC Fort Worth.

Jessica Eye vs. Mariya Agapova: Former UFC Fighters Making BKFC Debut

Jessica Eye is making her bare-knuckle debut at BKFC Fort Worth against another debutant, Mariya Agapova. They both competed in the UFC in the past, but it’s Eye who had a more successful career, even getting to fight Valentina Shevchenko for the title at one point.

However, the end of her UFC career wasn’t too shiny. She was released from the organization after losing four fights in a row – from 2020 to 2022. Three years after her last fight, she’s coming back in the cage, this time to fight in a BKFC match.

But we think that’s a bad decision. Although she seems to be in top shape, the fact is that she’s turning 39 in a month and is supposed to fight 27-year-old Agapova.

Agapova’s weakness in the UFC was defensive grappling, but she did do okay striking-wise. She might not be as slick as Eye, but she almost certainly has faster hands and a way better gas tank. BKFC 76 odds suggest she’s not going to have an easy job. We agree, but we think she’s gonna get it done.

BKFC 76 Picks for Remaining Fights

• Kenzie Morrison (-700) vs. Alex Davis (+400) – Kenzie Morrison
• Ruben Warr (+125) vs. JC Deleon (-155) – JC Deleon
• Haze Wilson (-180) vs. Anthony Garrett (+140) – Haze Wilson
• Darren Whitney (+275) vs. Rodney Hinton (-450) – Rodney Hinton
• Paco Castillo (+750) vs. Jake Heffernan (-1200) – Jake Heffernan
• Willie Gates (+200) vs. Brandon Meneses (-300) – Brandon Meneses
• Cameron Delano (-105) vs. Jesse Desrosier (-135) – Jesse Desrosier
• Jeremy Sauceda (-250) vs. Israel Rodriguez (+170) – Jeremy Sauceda
• Terryl Johnson (+115) vs. Kevin Sims (-155) – Terryl Johnson
• James Gray (+170) vs. Roderick Stewart (-250) – Roderick Stewart

Take a look at our BKFC Texas picks above, and you’ll see that we’re backing betting favorites in most fights. The only exception is the preliminary card fight between Terryl Johnson and Kevin Sims. Our prediction is that Johnson will win this – he’s a 43-year-old veteran who was in the MMA world before switching to bare-knuckle boxing.

When it comes to our “safer” BKFC 76 picks, our favorites are Kenzie Morrison and Jake Heffernan. Priced at -1200, Heffernan is the biggest betting favorite on the card, which tells the whole story.

READ ALSO: UFC Baku Picks for Jamahal Hill vs. Khalil Rountree Jr. and Other Fights on June 21

Meanwhile, the reason why we’re backing Kenzie Morrison is that the son of the legendary heavyweight boxing champ, Tommy Morrison, has had a pretty good career before joining the BKFC. This is going to be his first bare-knuckle fight, but we think he’ll show up.

Other BKFC Fort Worth picks we’re pretty confident about include Rodney Hinton, Brandon Meneses, and Jeremy Sauceda. If you put all the safest bets together into a parlay, along with Tony Soto and Andrey Arlovski, you’ll get to total odds of +340, which we think is great value.