BKB Bareknuckle have secured the marquee signing of heavy-hitting sports broadcast veteran Michael Ridout as Managing Director, UK, writes Gareth A Davies.
Bare-knuckle boxing’s relentless march into the mainstream combat sports firmament took another seismic stride forward on the week of its BKB 61 London event.
BKB, the world’s premiere bare-knuckle outfit, has pulled off a major executive coup with the marquee signing of expert sports broadcast veteran Michael Ridout as Managing Director, UK.
In what signals a fierce statement of intent from the US-headquartered promotion, Ridout arrives direct from his perch as Executive Vice President of Combat Sports & New Business at streaming behemoth DAZN, after a formidable 17-year pedigree in the high-stakes engine rooms of IMG.
It is a landmark move. Having spent two decades brokering global media rights, driving commercial expansion, and aligning with global combat juggernauts from the UFC to Queensberry head Frank Warren, Ridout’s arrival confirms one clear reality: bare-knuckle fighting is no longer a peripheral spectacle; it is an explosive, high-growth international business asset.
The Global Prizefighting Shift
“Michael brings an exceptional combination of experience, industry relationships, and commercial expertise to BKB,” David Tetreault, CEO of BKB, told me following the announcement.
“His work with DAZN and IMG, particularly across sports media, broadcast distribution, and global boxing, makes him a tremendous addition to our executive leadership team. As we continue to grow our international footprint and strengthen the business, his leadership will be instrumental.”
Ridout takes the helm of BKB’s United Kingdom operations alongside a sweeping mandate to spearhead the promotion’s international commercial expansion. The timing is meticulous.
The bare-knuckle discipline has undergone an unprecedented global surge in recent seasons, evolving from raw underground spectacle to mainstream broadcast juggernaut.
Over the past year, BKB’s global footprint has expanded to reach audiences in over 100 countries, capped by a record-breaking surge that saw the promotion become the single most-viewed live sport on TikTok in 2026.
“BKB has built an exciting platform in the global combat sports landscape, with significant opportunities to grow its audience, expand its international reach, and develop new commercial partnerships,” Ridout explained of his decision to make the leap.
“I look forward to drawing on my experience in sports media and combat sports to help drive BKB’s continued growth and build on the strong foundations already in place.”
The Industry Verdict
For an organization aiming to capture maximum market share alongside traditional boxing and MMA, capturing an executive of Ridout’s calibre, with his experience in top-tier broadcast distribution and rights acquisition, is a clear power play.
With the UK market remaining a traditional heartland for combat sports fans, placing a seasoned veteran at the helm in London provides BKB with the ideal launchpad to capture strategic partnerships, lock down vital domestic rights deals, and supercharge its rapid rise up the global sporting hierarchy.