James Lilley’s highly anticipated challenge for the BKFC UK featherweight title has been put on hold after his opponent, Gary Fox, withdrew from their scheduled bout. Instead of vying for the 145-pound championship, Lilley will now face a heavier adversary, Josué Ekedi, in a short-notice lightweight contest at BKFC Fight Night Newcastle.
The original title fight against Fox was a significant fixture for Lilley, who commented that it would have headlined almost any other bare-knuckle card. Its cancellation temporarily derails Lilley’s immediate goal of achieving rare status as a multi-promotional champion, having previously secured a title under the BKB banner. Lilley has openly shared his profound desire to add a BKFC belt to his accolades, viewing it as the pinnacle achievement for his two-decade-long fighting career.
“It’s a weird one for me because I challenged for a few titles in my career. MMA, boxing, bare knuckle, BKB, then BKFC, and only the BKB one I managed to capture. So, it’s kind of like will it ever happen again for me? I’m going to put my body through hell to try and get that belt. But yeah, I think being a champion in BKFC would sort of mark off the last 20 years of my career as you’ve achieved something.”
“At the moment, I’m an elite man. I know I’ve been in with some good fighters. But I think that belt will just encapsulate everything I’ve been working towards and it’s the only thing on my mind at the moment. I don’t care about sort of money and the fame and stuff that comes. I just want to get that belt so that I can say I was a BKFC champion. Show my kids something in 10 years time, 20 years time.”
The chance to make bare-knuckle history will need to wait a little longer. Lilley, known as ‘Lights Out,’ has indicated on social media that his bout with Fox is expected to be rebooked in the coming months. The BKFC UK promoter has also confirmed Fox’s withdrawal was due to unforeseen circumstances.
Consequently, Lilley, a former BKFC lightweight title challenger, will return to the 155-pound division for this impromptu match. He is set to take on Josué Ekedi in a last-minute lightweight clash at Utilita Arena Newcastle on March 14th.