Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship outlined an aggressive expansion plan at its Champions Summit in Las Vegas on 10 July, headlined by a $25 million “World’s Baddest Man” tournament that will begin in March 2026. The 32-man competition will run over 12 months and award $15 million to the winner, with smaller payouts down to $100,000 for alternates. A women’s “Baddest B*tch” tournament is slated to follow in mid-2026. BKFC president David Feldman and co-owner Conor McGregor also launched a fighter-equity scheme that will grant shareholdings to all champions and athletes with at least 10 appearances, with top performers eligible for up to $3 million in equity. Feldman said the initiative was designed “to give back to the men and women who shed blood in this ring.” The promotion added a wave of former UFC talent, confirming the signings of ex-title challengers Yoel Romero and Thiago Santos, along with Derek Brunson and Aspen Ladd. Former WBO junior-lightweight boxing champion Jamel Herring will debut in September. McGregor further announced that Mike Perry, the face of BKFC’s 2024 season, will return to the ring on 11 October against an opponent yet to be named. In a separate move, Feldman said BKFC has acquired a majority stake in Lethwei, the Burmese bare-knuckle discipline, widening the organisation’s stable of combat-sports properties as it prepares for the 2026 tournaments.