Erick Lozano and Jake Bostwick clash in the co-main event of BKFC 45 on June 23rd.
‘El Travieso’ enters this bout on the heels of stopping a former BKFC titleholder towards the end of April and he looks to continue that momentum through 2023. He did so after a two-and-a-half-year dormancy in the sport and Lozano readies for his third bare-knuckle bout two months after the sophomore fight.
The fistic fireworks broadcast on Fite TV as well as the Bare Knuckle TV app. The pugilistic proceedings emanate from Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida.
Lozano spoke to Dylan Bowker of Bare Knuckle News before the bout. Excerpts from the chat are below.
Erick Lozano
In your BKFC journey so far, you debuted against the now number two ranked pound-for-pound/ dual division champion Lorenzo Hunt then KOed former BKFC middleweight champion Francesco Ricchi in less than a minute. Can you speak to your Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship journey so far?
“Well for me it was; my first fight, I was a little out of my element. Going into just pretty much boxing when I’m used to doing MMA. But I got my feet wet with that Lorenzo Hunt fight. We went in there and banged. I took that fight on short notice and with the experience that I got in that fight, I think I’m ready and set to go. I’ve already fought some of the best. I fought the champ and I fought a former champ.”
“I want to say with the experience I’ve got, I’m looking forward to Friday. Now my training’s changed because of BKFC. I don’t have to worry about getting taken down or anything like that. So it’s more boxing, I can let my hands fly. I’m way more prepared than I was the first time around.”
BKFC
With the caliber of competition you continue to face, do you think you’re on a good track to achieving your goal of one day becoming a BKFC champion?
“Yup, I want to fight the best. I want objectively to get a rematch with Lorenzo Hunt or whoever’s the champ. I think there’s an interim championship fight coming out at 185. I’m not sure why Lorenzo’s the champ and he’s not busy right now. I don’t see him lined up to fight anybody. So I’m not sure why he’s not defending that belt. But either way, that’s my goal is to become the light heavyweight champion for BKFC eventually. I’ll go through whoever I have to go through to get there.”
BKFC 45
What inspires you in this surging sport of bare-knuckle boxing and what are your thoughts on Bostwick’s stylistic attributes?
Well, objectively I want to fight the best because I want to be up there in the names of pound for pound in BKFC. He’s (Lorenzo Hunt) up there at the top. So I’m pretty sure everybody else wants to try to get to the top. They’re not giving me any easy matches and I don’t ever want any easy matches. I tend to get up for these big fights and I rise to the occasion when I have to. I’m looking forward to this opportunity against Jake Bostwick. I know it’s gonna be a fight. He comes to fight every time and I can’t wait.”
“This is one of the better-prepared camps I’ve had and I’m looking forward to it… I know Bostwick’s gonna come and be game. He comes game every time he fights and I’m looking forward to it. I think it’s gonna be fight of the night and I can’t wait… His style is, he’s a brawler. He’s gonna come and he’s gonna come straight forward. For me, I’m a brawler. I can be a brawler when I need to be a brawler.”
“I became a little bit more of a counterpuncher (in MMA) and now the transition to BKFC for me, you got to go as soon as they tell you you’re ready to fight.”
Erick Lozano vs Jake Bostwick
Do you have a predominant visualization for how you see the story of this Bostwick bout unfurling?
“Well, I think me and Bostwick are gonna come in both trying to be the aggressors. I think it’s going to be a brawl. Like I said, I’m predicting it to be fight of the night. With us throwing heavy hands like we do I mean, this potentially can be a knockout of the night too for either one of us. I don’t shy away from those brawling moments. I look forward to it, I like it. Think it’s gonna be a banger.”
“If you had to ask me if I have a game plan, my game plan is to move around a lot and try to keep him guessing. I don’t know, see where it goes from there.”
