BKFC Weight Classes: Current Limits, Ironweight and Flyweight Changes
BKFC weight classes in pounds and kilograms, including 225 lb ironweight, women’s divisions and the planned retirement of men’s flyweight.
Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship’s current rankings list nine men’s divisions and three women’s divisions, with men’s bantamweight at 135 lb, ironweight at 225 lb and heavyweight carrying no upper limit. The women’s classes are strawweight, flyweight and featherweight. Compare the weight limits rather than assuming these names mean the same thing as in gloved boxing.
Two changes matter when reading older lists: BKFC added ironweight in 2026, and president David Feldman announced plans in October to retire men’s flyweight at 125 lb. The current official rankings include ironweight but omit men’s flyweight; women’s flyweight remains listed.
BKFC weight-class limits in order
Championship ranking coverage checked October 29, 2026. Kilograms are approximate conversions of the pound limits, rounded to one decimal place.
| Category | Division | Upper limit (lb) | Approximate limit (kg) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Men | Bantamweight | 135 | 61.2 |
| Men | Featherweight | 145 | 65.8 |
| Men | Lightweight | 155 | 70.3 |
| Men | Welterweight | 165 | 74.8 |
| Men | Middleweight | 175 | 79.4 |
| Men | Light heavyweight | 185 | 83.9 |
| Men | Cruiserweight | 205 | 93.0 |
| Men | Ironweight | 225 | 102.1 |
| Men | Heavyweight | No upper limit | No upper limit |
| Women | Strawweight | 115 | 52.2 |
| Women | Flyweight | 125 | 56.7 |
| Women | Featherweight | 145 | 65.8 |
The limits are documented in FIGHTMAG’s division-by-division championship list. The table follows BKFC’s current rankings; FIGHTMAG still includes men’s flyweight and has an introductory division count that does not match its own entries.
A limit is a ceiling, not a requirement to weigh exactly that amount. “BKFC lightweight,” for example, identifies the 155-pound division—not a guarantee that both fighters weighed 155 lb. This championship list is also not an exhaustive list of weights at which non-title bouts can take place.
Why older lists show men’s flyweight
Men’s flyweight was a 125-pound championship division. In an October 16, 2026 interview with Home of Fight, Feldman said BKFC would discontinue it because it lacked enough suitable competition to keep fighters active, according to The Times of India’s report of the interview.
That announcement is not grounds to relabel every recent 125-pound contest. BKFC’s own BKFC 95 results still describe a men’s flyweight bout and identify John Dodson as the flyweight champion entering his bantamweight challenge. The rankings establish that men’s flyweight is no longer listed, not a precise cutoff date for all 125-pound bouts.
Where ironweight fits
Ironweight’s 225 lb ceiling sits above cruiserweight’s 205 lb limit and below unlimited heavyweight. Reporting on the new division’s announcement described it as BKFC’s 13th division at the time—before the subsequent announcement about retiring men’s flyweight. That explains why the earlier 13-division count differs from the 12 championship categories now listed in the rankings.
BKFC versus gloved boxing
Compare the pounds, not just the name:
- Lightweight: BKFC’s ceiling is 155 lb; standard professional boxing’s is 135 lb.
- Welterweight: BKFC uses 165 lb; gloved boxing uses 147 lb.
- Cruiserweight: BKFC uses 205 lb; standard gloved boxing uses 200 lb.
The gloved limits appear in ESPN’s boxing weight-class reference. For the full conventional list, see boxing weight divisions in order.
Also distinguish BKFC’s promotional names from regulatory terminology. The ABC’s July 2024 bare-knuckle Unified Rules call 206–225 lb “cruiserweight” and separate heavyweight from super heavyweight. That is not BKFC’s naming scheme. The document expressly requires commission approval of weight classes and does not override commissions’ statutory regulations.
Reading the weigh-in and scorecard
The division ceiling and the published weigh-in number are separate pieces of information. For example, BKFC’s October 23, 2026 Clearwater weigh-in report lists headliner Ryan Reber at 135.4 lb. Before calling a weight a miss, check the approved bout conditions; do not assume a universal allowance from the division name alone.
Weight does not itself award judging points. Under the ABC bare-knuckle rules, three judges use the 10-point must system, prioritizing effective striking; effective aggressiveness and fighting-area control enter the assessment only when effective striking is even.
In a five-round example with only 10–9 rounds and no deductions, winning three rounds and losing two produces 48–47 on one judge’s card—not automatically the official result. The scorecard basics explain that distinction.