Former IBF featherweight world champion Lee Selby made a spectacular entry into bare-knuckle boxing, defeating Italy’s Antonio Rizzo with a powerful left hook to the body in the second round at BKB 55: Carnage in Cardiff. This marked Selby’s return to combat sports after a four-year hiatus.
At 39 years old, the Welsh star showcased an impressive performance at the Vindico Arena, demonstrating that age was no barrier. Selby, nicknamed “Lightning,” displayed no signs of rust, utilizing sharp footwork, a potent jab, and effective counter-punches to overcome the aggressive bare-knuckle fighter, Rizzo.
Selby first sent Rizzo to the canvas at the close of the opening round with a right-hand strike to the head. In the second round, Rizzo was knocked down three more times before the fight was officially stopped following Selby’s decisive blow to the body.
Post-fight, Selby expressed his satisfaction:
“It felt incredible, and remember, I’m almost 40. Rizzo is nearly half my age; he could be my son. So, I’m fighting for the 40-year-olds, the ’40 club.’ As NWA said, I have an appetite for destruction.”
“Yes, I do [desire a world title shot]. I want to avenge my good friend and sparring partner, Kallum Shkhane, and his loss when he competed for the world title. I felt he was very unfortunate to be stopped just before the bell when I believed he was ahead on points.”
Selby, who held the IBF featherweight world title from 2015 to 2018 and successfully defended it five times, also previously held British, Commonwealth, and European titles. His professional boxing career in traditional boxing concluded with a record of 28 wins (9 by knockout) and 4 losses.
This victory signifies a strong start to Selby’s bare-knuckle boxing career, as BKB continues to gain prominence by attracting top talent from conventional boxing disciplines to its unique no-gloves format.