JAMES DEGALE won his bare-knuckle boxing debut in an ugly affair.
The two-time super-middleweight world champion – one of British boxing’s best – faced Aussie rival Matty Floyd in Manchester.
James DeGale wins his BKFC debut[/caption]
DeGale crossed over to Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship after SIX years out of the ring – when he was beaten by Chris Eubank Jr.
And after five rounds filled with point deductions, clinching and the occasional punching, DeGale scrapped through with a points win.
He said: “It’s bare-knuckle boxing, it’s highly different. The holding, punching, it’s crazy! Crazy stuff.
“But do you know what? I’m 1-0 in bare-knuckle. JD’s second coming.”
After a heated build up, the two came flying out of the traps, initiating the first of many clinches.
Floyd – who did wobble DeGale with a right hand – was warned about his excessive holding.
And he was docked two points or HEADBUTTING DeGale after the bell sounded to end round one.
The chaos continued in the second when Floyd was warned again – this time for punching after bell – landing himself another point deduction.
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As the bout turned ugly, it was DeGale who was docked a point for hitting after clinch.
The final two rounds saw DeGale – who won Olympic gold in 2008 – pick up the pace as both were left cut and bleeding from the face.
His habit of landing with a straight right or left before grabbing onto Floyd appeared to work.
As the fight went the full five, two-minute rounds, DeGale late surge and Floyd’s repeated point deductions left the scorecards wide.
DeGale was awarded the unanimous verdict and congratulated by former UFC champion Conor McGregor – part-owner of BKFC.
McGregor said: “It’s an interesting puzzle in the bare-knuckle. The habit for people is to reach, we all do that, frames, yeah. I wanna see frames.
“It’s different, as he says, this man is an Olympic gold medallist and a former two-time world champion and he enjoyed it. It looked like he f***ing enjoyed it.
“Matt Floyd, great fight. That was a great fight. It’s an interesting puzzle, bare-knuckle. It’s not boxing, it’s bare-knuckle fighting.”
DeGale, 39, added: “He’s tough, he’s game. In boxing, that’s his best move holding the back of the head and uppercutting. He always gets warned.
“In a boxing fight, he won’t last two rounds. So I thought, let me have a bare-knuckle boxing make it more even.”
