MMA Knockout

Ruben Warr Gunning for BKFC Title in High-Stakes Fight That’ll Change His Life

Ruben Warr believes a title shot could soon follow his 6-second KO and a win this weekend in the main event of BKFC LA.

Christopher De Santiago

BKFC

"This fight is going to change my life, change my family's life. I'm putting everything on the table for this..."

BKFC Lightweight contender Ruben Warr packed up his bags weeks ago, leaving home for what would be the hardest training camp of his career.

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Warr Briefly Looks Back On Super-Fast KO

Riding a lot of momentum is Warr, fresh off a 6-second knockout (watch below) in July and in line for a potential title fight with newly-crowned champ Franco Tenaglia, should he win this Saturday against Bovar Khanakov in the main event of BKFC Los Angeles.

"The five second knockout didn't mean as much to me because I'm number three for fastest knockout in BKFC history. I need to be number one." Warr told MMA Knockout, symbolic of his championship aspirations. "So after that knockout, I was back in the gym Monday working even harder."

Road To Gold

With the last name 'Warr', the 36'year-old has seen his fair share of them in 24 professional fights - first as an MMA fighter, and currently as a BKFC star rising through the ranks.

"[Title shot] has to be next," Warr said with a win this weekend. "Has to. No one's doing what I'm doing, especially even in my weight class, let alone in BKFC roster. Nobody has fought anyone, anytime, anywhere, any place. I have done that over and over and over again. And I feel like I earned my title shot after this, and when I knock Bovar out - because I will knock him out - I promise you on everything that I got, I'm going to knock this man out. When I do, I deserve that respect from BKFC to at least let me get that title back."


"Let me bring it back to the United States," Warr said. "This is an American promotion, and that title belongs in America."

Warr Weighs In On BKFC Fight Of The Year - Franco Tenaglia vs. Tony Soto

Argentina crowned its first BKFC champion in Franco Tenaglia following a grueling Fight of the Year-contender turned against Tony "Loco" Soto, which earned both men a double-payday from BKFC brass Conor McGregor (part-owner) and David Feldman (founder/president).

While he found it entertaining, Warr wasn't overly impressed with either man's peformance.

"It was a great fight, but it wasn't a technical fight," Warr said of Tenaglia vs. Soto. "It felt like two men who played Socker Boppers with each other. There was no technique to it. You had Tony Soto swinging from the hips. You had the other dude dropping from a weak a** body shot."

"Maybe to y'all, it was a great fight. It was very entertaining. I'm not going to take that away from them. But to me, to say that's your best performance...To me, it's a slap in the face, because there's no way in hell they're going to be able to do that to me. For him to drop with a body shot from Tony Soto, it just shows to me that I know for a fact he's gonna drop when we fight."

Standing In Warr's Way Of A Title Shot

His eye on Franco Tenaglia's title and fellow champ, 'King of BKFC' Kai Stewart, Warr's next challenge comes in the form of the undefeated Bovar Khanakov.

"Man could take a lot of damage," Warr said of Khanakov, who he compared to the BKFC version of Nate Diaz, durable UFC superstar. "The man has a chin, so props to him for having that kind of heart. Not many fighters do have that kind of heart. Not many fighters can take that kind of damage."

"He's coming up in weight at 155, and I hit like a 170lber. One hit's gonna change his mind, I promise you."

"I'm a true gladiator to the sport," Warr said days ahead of his fifth fight this year. "I feel like I'm breaking numbers and I'm just getting started. I'm getting better every fight. I worked extremely hard to get where I'm at and it's all paying off now. This fight is going to change my life, change my family's life. So I'm putting everything on the table for this."

Ruben Warr, a single father, fights to provide for his children, who he'll see after his return to the ring this weekend at BKFC LA.

Watch the card Saturday night at Thunder Studios, through the BKFC app, or on Fubo Sports at 9PM CST.

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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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