Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship Set for Hawai‘i Debut in Card Packed with Local Talent The Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) is set to make its debut in Hawai‘i on Saturday, April 11, 2026, with a fight card headlined by Mākaha native Maki Pitolo facing Doug Coltrane. The event, titled BKFC Fight Night Honolulu: Pitolo vs. Coltrane, will take place at the Neal S. Blaisdell Center starting at 5 p.m. All 13 bouts on the card will feature at least one fighter from Hawai‘i, showcasing the island’s growing presence in combat sports. David Feldman, BKFC’s founder and president, has long envisioned expanding the organization beyond its early events in Wyoming and Mississippi. Since its 2018 launch, BKFC has held events in dozens of states and countries, including Thailand, Bulgaria, England, Canada, and Montenegro. The Hawai‘i debut marks another milestone in the organization’s global expansion, with Feldman emphasizing the significance of bringing the sport to the islands. “Back-to-back events in Hawai‘i and Australia on back-to-back weekends, so it’s just phenomenal,” Feldman said. “We have three events in seven days. The amount of fan interest that we get all over the world now, it’s just truly incredible and very, very humbling.” Pitolo, a mixed martial artist with six UFC fights under his belt, will make his BKFC debut against Coltrane, a fighter with a 3-2 record in the organization. Feldman highlighted the importance of featuring local talent, noting that Hawai‘i has been on BKFC’s radar for years. “I always knew that the people there on the Island could really, really fight,” Feldman said. “There’s a lot of great fighters, a lot of great promotions that actually did fights there. I just thought it would fit the island very, very well, so I brought it there.#bare_knuckle_fighting_championship #maki_pitolo #doug_coltrane #neal_s_blaisdell_center #david_feldman
