An up-and-coming bare-knuckle fighter from Burnley landed a knockout blow to an amateur boxing legend in front of a sell-out crowd in Birmingham.
Jack Dugdale, who lives in Padiham, sent shockwaves through the sport when he defeated highly-respected Frankie Gavin, knocking him out in just 52 seconds in front of his opponent’s home crowd at the NEC in Birmingham.
The 36-year-old, who runs Basement Boxing and Fitness in Paradise Street, Burnley, with his coach Seamus Devlin, was making his debut for US promoters BKFC.
He spoke to the Burnley Express about his pride over the bout, and his journey to get there.
Jack Dugdale and Frankie Gavin before their fight in Birminghamplaceholder image
Jack Dugdale and Frankie Gavin before their fight in Birmingham
Jack, who attended Walton High School in Nelson, said: “I’ve been fighting professionally for two and a half years now but this was my debut bout for BKFC.
“It was a very proud moment for me because Frankie is an amateur legend and is really well thought of. He was making his bare-knuckle debut but we were fighting in front of his home crowd, and so you could hear a pin drop when I beat him.”
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Jack then explained how his journey from Burnley to Birmingham had seen highs and lows over the last two decades.
“I started doing mixed martial arts and jiu-jitsu when I was 14. However, I fell into some bad habits in my twenties, going out drinking and partying. As such, I put on a lot of weight and had a bad relationship with alcohol and junk food.
“I decided I needed to get my fitness back and so started training with Seamus, who I now run a gym with, and haven’t looked back since.”
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