Florence, Italy, April 26, 2025 – The Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) makes its historic debut in Italy with BKFC 73 at the Palazzo Wanny, headlined by a cruiserweight title clash between champion Chris Camozzi and local favorite Andrea “Italian Thunder” Bicchi. The event, broadcast live on DAZN, showcases the fast-growing combat sports promotion, bringing raw, unfiltered bare-knuckle boxing to a new audience. Adding to the excitement, fans were treated to free prelims streamed live on YouTube, showcasing emerging talent and setting the stage for an electrifying night.
The main event features Chris Camozzi (3-1, 3 KOs), a 38-year-old Italian-American from Alameda, California, defending his BKFC cruiserweight title for the first time. Camozzi, who won the belt with a first-round knockout over Sawyer Depee in October 2024, faced a formidable challenge in Bicchi (4-1), a 28-year-old Florentine who stepped in on short notice after Lorenzo Hunt withdrew due to injury. Bicchi, originally slated to fight Tomas Melis, seized the opportunity to compete for the title in his hometown, igniting local support. At the weigh-ins, Camozzi tipped the scales at 204.2 pounds, while Bicchi came in at 203 pounds, with tensions flaring as Bicchi pushed Camozzi during their face-off, promising to wipe the champion’s smile away.
The co-main event showcases a welterweight trilogy fight for the BKFC European title between England’s Rico Franco (9-3, 7 KOs) and Ireland’s Jimmy Sweeney (19-4, 13 KOs). Franco won their first encounter in 2019, while Sweeney evened the score in 2021. Both fighters, weighing in at 165 and 163.6 pounds respectively, expressed mutual respect but vowed to settle the rivalry definitively. Sweeney, making his BKFC debut, aimed to cement his legacy as one of Europe’s top bare-knuckle fighters.
The undercard features a mix of international and local talent, including New Zealand’s Haze Hepi (270.6 pounds) against Steve Banks (284.2 pounds) in a heavyweight clash, and Germany’s Nicole Schaefer (135 pounds) versus Italy’s Sara Bitto (136 pounds) at bantamweight. Other notable bouts included Ernesto Papa vs. Toni Estorer at cruiserweight and Jesus De Nazaret vs. Tomas Melis at light heavyweight, ensuring a diverse and action-packed lineup.
Fans unable to attend the sold-out event at Palazzo Wanny could watch the free prelims, streamed live from 9:00 AM PT on YouTube on April 26, available on platforms like Apple TV, Roku, and FireTV. The prelims feature early fights such as Marco Giustarini vs. Zdravko Dimitrov and Enzo Tobbia vs. Michael Igwegbe, offering a platform for rising stars to shine.
The event drew significant attention, with BKFC co-owner Conor McGregor hosting the launch press conference in February, hyping the card as a “gladiator’s return to Italy.” BKFC President David Feldman praised the matchup, calling Bicchi’s title shot a “true Rocky story.” As Florence welcomed bare-knuckle boxing, BKFC 73 aims to deliver a night of gritty action, solidifying the promotion’s international expansion and leaving fans eager for more.
