Ben Rothwell believes BKFC Heavyweight Champion Mick Terrill is in for a rude awakening at Knuckle Mania 5.
A 17-fight veteran of the UFC, Rothwell is now 3-0 as a bareknuckle boxer and one win away from his first world title in the BKFC this weekend. Rothwell challenges the champ Terrill in the co-main event of Knuckle Mania from Philadelphia after stopping Todd Duffee in April.
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Unlike many other fighters on the roster, Terrill never picked up the MMA gloves, bareknuckle boxing before BKFC ever came into existence. Terill’s resume includes wins over champs Lorenzo Hunt and Arnold Adams, still missing a UFC name.
“The most experienced bareknuckle fighter I have fought,” Rothwell said of Terrill, 9-1 as a bareknuckle boxer. “On the flip side, I have been fighting for a long time and I’m the most experienced fighter he’s ever faced. I know he’s never faced anything quite like me. This is a huge step for him. It’s gonna be a big wake up call for him.”
“I believe he’s just tough enough that he’s not gonna flop on the ground in 45 seconds like Todd Duffee.”
Rothwell fought the who’s-who of the UFC Heavyweight division for years, the list of names not limited to Alistair Overeem, Junior Dos Santos, Cain Velasquez, and Andrei Arlovski (twice). Inside the Octagon, ‘Big’ Ben once finished four opponents in a row.
Rothwell was asked if he thinks his opponent Terrill is intimidated by him given his strength of schedule in the UFC, where he fought from 2009 to 2021.
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“I try to imagine if I was him and if I was him, I don’t think about it because if you do, it’s gonna be kind of daunting,” Rothwell said. “He’s never faced anything. I fought many of these guys the best, I have faced some of the best fighters in the world, there’s no doubt about it. He hasn’t fought one in the MMA realm.”
“He wanted to fight Mark Hunt… Well, I have fought Mark Hunt, I’ve lost and I’ve beat some of the best fighters in the world. I’ve been in there for five five-minute rounds. So, it’s very important for me to give him a proper introduction to what the elite fighting class of the world are all about.”
Watch Mick Terrill vs. Ben Rothwell at BKFC Knuckle Mania 5 on Saturday – live from the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia and available to watch on DAZN.
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In a recent interview, UFC veteran Ben Rothwell had some strong words for BKFC champion Mick Terrill, claiming that Terrill hasn’t faced anything in comparison to the competition he’s seen in the UFC.
Rothwell, who has competed at the highest level of MMA for years, believes that Terrill’s success in the bare-knuckle fighting world doesn’t hold the same weight as victories in the UFC.
“Mick Terrill may be the BKFC champion, but let’s be real – he hasn’t faced anything like the competition I’ve seen in the UFC,” Rothwell said. “I’ve fought some of the best heavyweights in the world, and I can tell you, Terrill hasn’t faced anything close to that level of competition.”
Rothwell’s comments are sure to stir up some controversy in the combat sports world, as fans of both BKFC and the UFC debate the validity of Rothwell’s claims.
Regardless of the outcome, it’s clear that Rothwell believes in the level of competition in the UFC, and he’s not afraid to speak his mind about it. Only time will tell if Terrill will rise to the challenge and prove Rothwell wrong.
Tags:
UFC, Ben Rothwell, BKFC, Mick Terrill, MMA, Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship, fighter, match, opponent, competition, experience, challenge, interview
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