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Add FightsATW on GoogleFormer WBO super featherweight champion Jamel Herring is looking to make a little bit of history on Friday night at BKFC (Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship) 89, live from the Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert, CA, on DAZN, as he aims to join Austin Trout as a two-sport world champion.
The 40-year-old Herring (1-0) from Coram, NY, will be entering his second bare-knuckle fight as he faces Michael Larrimore (3-1, 3 KOs) for the BKFC bantamweight title. Although Larrimore took the fight on short notice, all three of his victories have been by stoppage, so this will be a true test for Herring as he aims to continue his new career in the world of bare-knuckle fighting.
It’s been a little over two years since Herring laced up the boxing gloves and suffered his fifth defeat against Jackson Jon England in April 2024. Afterward, Herring took time away from the ring, and things seemed to be leaning toward retiring from the sport. Then, in January and March 2025, things took a sharp turn as reports emerged that he was arrested for domestic incidents. If things had seemed a little dark after his last loss as a boxer, they were even darker with the back-to-back arrests. Those situations would have set many people back even further, but Herring didn’t stop marching forward.
“Whatever doesn’t break you, builds you,” Herring told FightsATW. “You have to lead by example. I had my ups and downs. Even when things were dismissed, and I wasn’t found in the wrong, I still had to face public scrutiny. You never saw me run away, make excuses, or ask anyone to feel bad for me. I just took the punches and rolled with it like a typical fighter.”
But there is light at the end of every tunnel, and that light came in the form of BKFC. Knowing that doing nothing wasn’t the answer, Herring decided to make a call, which led him to begin a new chapter in combat sports by signing with BKFC in July 2025.
“It was more of a blessing in disguise,” said Herring. “Going through 2025 was rough for me. When you’re in the spotlight, you’re guilty until proven innocent. So, for me, I felt like I had to do something because I have that Marine Corps mentality. Just sitting at home in a room wasn’t the best fit for me. That’s when I reached out to David Feldman (Founder & CEO of BKFC) to do something new and give it a try.”
Even after signing with BKFC, Herring was offered fights in boxing, and one with Salita Promotions was close to being finalized, but before signing on the dotted line, Herring received a call from Feldman about a January 2026 fight date.
On January 17, Herring made his BKFC debut against Matt Guymon. Herring earned a unanimous decision, but more important was the experience of fighting bare-knuckle and knocking the rust off after his 21-month layoff.
“It was different (fighting bare knuckle), especially trying to find your range without gloves and padding,” he said. “That was the main thing. It may not look like much, but those extra couple of inches from the glove is where fighters find their range. It was also a faster pace. You saw he tried to jump on me, but by round three, that’s when I started to find my rhythm. It was smooth sailing from there.”
Four months later, Herring finds himself fighting for the BKFC bantamweight title. With a bare-knuckle fight under his belt, he feels a more prepared approach will produce the results he is looking for, which is the bantamweight title. In this training camp, Herring worked on more padwork without gloves with his trainer, Henry Ramirez, in Riverside, CA. He was also able to begin training camp earlier for this fight. All things are lined up to put Herring in the best possible position to come out victorious.
The only thing that could get in his way and stop him from winning on Friday night is Father Time. Herring has always stayed in good shape, but there is no heads-up when Father Time decides to intervene, making it unpredictable. Until that day comes, Herring will keep the mindset that earned him a world title almost seven years to the date. “I know what it takes to become a world champion.”
Whether fans fill the Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert on Friday or stream live on DAZN, Herring expects to show what he always aims to show in his fights: “It’s going to be another display of technique and skill.”
Can Herring once again defy the odds and become a world champion in the bare-knuckle world, or will Larrimore be the guy who forces Herring to explore a career outside of fighting? We are only days away from finding out how this BKFC main event plays out on Friday night.
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