BKFC World's Baddest Man Tryouts Coming to Manchester Ahead of BKFC 94

MANCHESTER, England — Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) is bringing its search for the toughest fighters on the planet to Manchester. BKFC will host open tryouts for its new global competition series, World's Baddest Man, on Thursday, September 24, 2026, giving aspiring fighters an opportunity to compete for a place in a massive global tournament and a share of a $20 million prize pool. The Manchester tryout will take place during the same week the city hosts BKFC 94, headlined by former UFC star Darren Till vs. Yoel Romero. Fighters interested in participating can apply through bkfc.com/wbm and select their preferred tryout location. Manchester represents the first of five international tryout stops. Additional tryouts will take place in Brisbane on October 1, Belgrade on October 15, Tampa on October 21, and Las Vegas on November 14. What to Expect at the BKFC World's Baddest Man Tryouts The initial tryout process is designed to evaluate potential competitors without putting them into the ring. Participants will undergo: Physical evaluations On-camera interviews A professional photo shoot There will be no fighting during the tryouts. The competition is open to men weighing between 185 and 275 pounds (84-125 kg), with athletes from all levels of fighting and competition eligible to apply. What Is World's Baddest Man? World's Baddest Man is a six-episode docu-series produced for the Fox Nation streaming platform, culminating in a live-event finale. The series will begin airing in June 2027, before the Live Event Finale airs on Fox Nation on July 31, 2027. The project will follow a worldwide search for elite fighters while also putting a spotlight on the people behind the competitors. According to BKFC, the series will explore the fighters' families, cultures, faiths, communities and personal journeys, documenting their experiences from the initial tryout process through the final stages of the competition. How the World's Baddest Man Competition Works Following the five global tryouts, 50 fighters will be selected to compete in the One-Round Wars in Miami on December 12-13, 2026. The opening stage will feature a single-elimination format consisting of 25 two-minute fights. The 25 winners will then enter a selection pool, with 16 fighters and four to six alternates advancing to the Round of 16 in Philadelphia, currently scheduled for approximately February 2-15, 2027. The competition will then continue with the Round of 8 in Philadelphia, scheduled for approximately March 31-April 11, 2027. Eight fighters will emerge from the Round of 8. Each of those eight winners will earn a place on the World's Baddest Man Live Finale fight card, currently expected to take place between approximately July 26 and August 2, 2027, with the final location still to be determined. The finale is expected to feature approximately 10-12 fights, from the main event down. $20 Million Prize Pool and BKFC Contracts The eight finalists will compete for a share of the $20 million prize pool, as well as the opportunity to earn BKFC contracts. However, reaching the final eight is not necessarily the only path to a BKFC contract. The promotion can offer contracts to standout fighters at any stage of the competition, regardless of whether they win or lose, at BKFC's discretion. That creates another major incentive for fighters looking to use World's Baddest Man as a launching pad for their professional bare-knuckle careers. Manchester World's Baddest Man Tryout Details Date: Thursday, September 24, 2026 Location: Manchester, England Format: Physical evaluation, interview and photo shoot Fighting at Tryouts: No Eligible Weight: 185-275 pounds (84-125 kg) Application: bkfc.com/wbm Prize Pool: $20 million, shared among the eight Live Finale fighters With Manchester serving as the first stop on BKFC's five-city global search, fighters have their first opportunity to begin the journey toward becoming the World's Baddest Man. And with BKFC 94: Darren Till vs. Yoel Romero taking place in Manchester during the same week, the city is set to become a major hub for bare-knuckle combat sports. Roberto Villa is the CEO, Founder, Executive Writer, and Senior Editor of FightBook MMA. Has a passion for Combat Sports and is also a podcast host for Sitting Ringside. He's also a former MMA fighter and Kickboxer. He's also the main photographer for the 4CornersMafia Car Club.