Mike Richman contends for the middleweight title against David Mundell in the main event of BKFC 47 on July 14th.
The fistic fireworks broadcast on the Bare Knuckle TV app and Fite TV with the pugilistic proceedings emanate from Jenkins Arena in Lakeland, Florida.
Richman spoke to Dylan Bowker of Bare Knuckle News before this bout. Excerpts from the chat are below.
Mike Richman
Every BKFC fight has been a main event sans one co-main event. How does it feel to keep the trend alive and again be topping the marquee?
“I firmly believe that I’m still on the top of the rankings pound for pound. But not just the pound for pound, I’m up there on top when it comes to BKFC fighters that the fans, fighters, and everyone want to watch. I think there’s something to be said that Dave Mundell and his team, they searched up me. They wanted to fight me and I don’t think Mundell has got a very big name for himself yet even though he’s the champion.”
Mike Richman continued, “But obviously coming to fight me and if he can take me out, I think he knows that can kind of put him in a higher light. I think he’s trying to take an opportunity at me coming off that knockout loss. So it’s just a perfect opportunity for everyone involved.”
BKFC
You’re eyeing titles in multiple divisions even as low as 155 pounds. It seemed like you were teasing a few months back that you had several potential big options for fights but when was Mundell locked in as the specific next opponent?
“Well, I think it was always in the picture. It was always in the picture for me to fight for the 175-pound title when (Francesco) Ricchi was the champ. It was scheduled for me to fight at 175. We were unsure if that fight was going to happen in the timeframe that we wanted. So then obviously Lorenzo and I started having our little bit of beef online and then we had the run-in with each other at a show in Hollywood. Then they were unsure if he was going to vacate or what he was going to do next.”
“So then I think it was about six weeks out, they were like hey, do you want to fight for the interim light heavyweight title? Do you want to fight for the interim 185-pound title against (Isaac) Doolittle in Denver? This is while I’m still unsure. I’m supposed to be fighting for the 175 (title) next but the date and the venue wasn’t secure. This was secure and I’m like well you know what if I want to fight Lorenzo, I still want to keep going down this path.”
“Instead of just talking the talk and then just ignore it and us never fight then yeah, let me go fight Doolittle. Let’s go out there and beat Doolittle and I know Lorenzo’s going to have to fight me after that. So just kind of a fork in the road came and then I took the ’85 route.”
“So then when I’m done with that little run, the opportunity for me was still there with the company. They still wanted me to go back down and fight for the ’75 title. Which means a lot, they still definitely value me in the company in multiple weight classes. So that’s good.”
BKFC 47
What are your thoughts on Mundell’s title-winning effort vs the aforementioned Ricchi and the general BKFC arc of ‘Redneck’ so far?
“I think the win over Ricchi, you know, Ricchi is a talented fighter. Obviously after the Mundell fight and then you had the (Erick) Lozano fight I believe is his name, then you started to see maybe Ricchi’s chin reached it’s expiration date with Mundell. Because he was a talented fighter but he got caught and he got put away. As far as Mundell’s reign, I just don’t think he gets enough credit. Understandably so, he’s a soft-spoken dude. He doesn’t do much talking really.”
“It seems like he’s starting to try to do more talking, starting to have more of a social media presence. I know his coach backs up all his fighters. I think he’s really trying to find his identity as a fan-favorite guy. Before his two knockout wins, he wasn’t really getting many knockouts. He wasn’t really a big knockout guy in MMA either.”
“So then now he’s feeling himself, he’s got two knockout finishes. Now he wants to establish himself as an entertaining fighter. Before that he was a lot of footwork, a lot of head movement. He didn’t really slip and counter, just a lot of slips. Now he’s starting to put his game together. Now he’s got to test his skillset against me.”
Mike Richman vs David Mundell
Is this fight now the most compelling that it’s ever been considering your comments about Mundell coming into his own more?
“Yeah, I think it’s a compelling test for me, for him. It’s a compelling test for me. One, I got to go out there and see if my chin didn’t reach its expiration date and go out there. Because I’m an exciting fighter. I’m gonna go get in the pocket and I’m going to bring the fight to you. You’re never going to be booing one of my fights. I’m going to go in there and I’m going to bring the action. So it’s compelling for me to go back in there. To show the fans, to show everyone that I’m still the cream of the crop.”
“For him, it’s compelling for him because now he needs to really show has he elevated to the highest level. I think it’s good in his favor because his skillset is tightening up. If he fought me a couple of years ago, he would’ve been in big trouble. But I think he’s really putting his game together now where it can be a good fight. Two southpaws going at it, two skillful guys going at it. It’s going to be exciting.”
