BKFC middleweight champion David Mundell defends his title on Friday, and he’s utterly frustrated that another title in his same division will be handed out in December.
The bare-knuckle outfit announced a showdown between ex-UFC fighters Mike Perry and Eddie Alvarez on Dec. 2 in Salt Lake City to crown the first ever “King of Violence” champion. The marquee fight will even have its own title belt awarded to the winner, similar to what the UFC did with the “BMF” title on two different occasions.
As much as Mundell understands that the “King of Violence” title is all about promotion and selling pay-per-views, he can’t help but wonder why Perry or Alvarez aren’t calling him out for a chance to actually become a BKFC champion.
“How can you go and make another belt for the same exact weight class? It’s frustrating,” Mundell told MMA Fighting. “I don’t give a damn about the King of Violence belt. I’ve got the real belt. That’s a play belt, just like Perry’s store-bought platinum belt. It’s all garbage.
“People will eventually see through it. It’s all games right now. When it comes to fight time, that ain’t a game.”
Mundell doesn’t necessarily blame Perry or Alvarez for fighting one another instead of a matchup against him, which Mundell obviously considers a much tougher matchup.
Perhaps what makes him angry is that he’s been calling for a fight against Perry ever since the UFC veteran signed with BKFC, yet his request has been snubbed time and time again.
“I’m watching him fight all these guys that he’s just able to beat,” Mundell said of Perry. “There’s just something about it. Even this fight. Eddie Alvarez is a dog and he’s coming to fight, and I think he actually might pull it off, but he’s also smaller. He’s got a frame of a [155-pounder], so they’re setting Mike up for victory and it’s super annoying.
“I definitely want that fight, and as soon as they are done using him, and they give him to me, it’s game over. I’m trashing that dude.”
Mundell continued his diatribe toward Perry, who has headlined several massive cards for BKFC but only faced one prior opponent with any bare-knuckle experience. Alvarez defeated Chad Mendes in a razor-close decision in his BKFC debut back in April, so he’ll be Perry second opponent with previous experience in the bare-knuckle ring.
“All he is, is tough. Tough is not a compliment,” Mundell said. “Tough means you get your ass beat. He’s just tough. That’s all he is. Who has Mike Perry knocked out? He ‘finished’ [Luke] Rockhold, but did he sit him down on his ass? No, he just hit him in his mouth and Rockhold was a crybaby and quit.
“It’s not impressive to me. He came in here and he’s done nothing impressive. I thought he lost that [Michael ‘Venom’ Page] fight. He may have even lost the Julian fight. Whatever.”
In his upcoming fight, Mundell defends his title against Doug Coltrane, a 3-0 bare-knuckle fighter who doesn’t have the name brand appeal of more veteran opponents. Mundell didn’t blink when BKFC called with the offer, but he’s also getting fed up that he can’t earn the same opportunities as fighters like Perry or Alvarez.
“I don’t really see anybody else that’s currently signed that stands a chance [against me],” Mundell said. “I feel like this belt’s going to be mine for a long time, and if that’s the way it’s going to be, why not give me some of these popular bums?
“I want to fight Perry. Give me one of these YouTubers, which I don’t usually say because it shouldn’t really be done, but it’s all a money game now. I just want to eat and I want my family to live.”
If everything goes to plan on Friday, Mundell will waste no time booking a ticket to Utah for December, because he wants to be front and center when Perry and Alvarez meet.
“I am 100 percent going to be there,” Mundell said. “I am definitely going to make some noise. They’re not going to sit there and overlook me.”
