MMA Knockout

KO Artist Nathan Rivera Details Why BKFC Is the Place to Be

Bouncing back-and-forth between MMA and boxing, Nathan Rivera has found a home in BKFC, where he returns at BKFC 69.

Christopher De Santiago

BKFC

From the boxing ring to the MMA cage, Nathan Rivera found his true calling in the BKFC.

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A welder by trade, 27-year-old Rivera forged his own path in combat sports with two first-round knockouts in BKFC, his most recent performance earning him a multi-fight contract. The story as it goes, Rivera put pen to paper, handing boss David Feldman a letter right before getting in the Squared Circle: "Welcome to the Rivera Era - multi-fight deal?"

Making The Move To Bareknuckle Boxing

So, what brought Rivera, an amateur boxer and MMA fighter, into the world of BKFC? Well, it sure wasn't the no-glove policy but the opportunity to build a future for himself in the company, which has seen exponential growth since its inception in 2018.

"I was always bouncing [between MMA & boxing] when I was an amateur. I took one pro fight, and then BKFC was just on a rise. I wanted to see what the hype was about," Rivera told MMA Knockout ahead of his upcoming fight at BKFC 69 this Friday. "Reached out to the matchmaker, got a fight booked. Ever since then, that was my sole purpose. That was my sole direction for my career: to be a BKFC fighter."

"No gloves? It was kinda just like, 'This is pretty crazy... let's just see what happens...' And then, next thing you know, I'm on my third fight, and I think it's gonna be a really fruitful career."

Rivera returns to action against Justin Street this weekend at BKFC 69 in Atlanta, Georgia - a home game for "The Reaper" in the promotion's first stop in the city.

Rivera Says 'The Sky's The Limit' For BKFC

Breaking new ground, Rivera is in awe of what the BKFC has done in the past year, from sold-out shows overseas to a consistent schedule of events in the United States with a number of notable names fighting for them, such as Austin Trout, Mike Perry and Eddie Alvarez just to name a few.

"BKFC is one of those things where it just [keeps] climbing," Rivera continued. "My debut was like a year ago. I was just thinking to myself, this is crazy— it has just climbed. So, to be part of an organization like this, where it really is like the sky's the limit. I've never seen another organization climb the way that this has climbed in 365 days. It's nuts. I'm very excited to be part of it."

Welcome Home, Nathan Rivera

2-0 under the BKFC banner and pushing for 3 wins in a few days, Rivera lives in the moment, not worrying too much about his future or fighting elsewhere. In the BKFC is where Rivera wants to stay.

"There's no other organization I wanna fight for. There's no other ruleset I wanna fight for. This is where I wanna be," the 27-year-old fighter from Georgia added. "I'm pretty early in my professional career. I'm not necessarily, like, the youngest in the game...

"I'm towards the end of my twenties, but I still think I have quite a bit of time to cement myself as one of the best 145-pounders in the world in BKFC."

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Christopher De Santiago
CHRISTOPHER DE SANTIAGO

Christopher De Santiago is a 22 year-old journalist from Gainesville, Texas with years of experience covering MMA.

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