Lausanne, Switzerland, 6th March, 2026: The International Boxing Association (IBA) is pleased to announce the appointment of Jim Freeman as IBA Bare\u2011Knuckle Director, marking a significant step in the structured development and governance of bare\u2011knuckle boxing within the IBA framework.<\/p>\n
Jim Freeman is widely recognised as a founder and pioneer of modern professional bare\u2011knuckle boxing. In 2015, he co\u2011founded BKB (Bare Knuckle Boxing) in the United Kingdom, which became the world\u2019s first fully sanctioned professional bare\u2011knuckle boxing promotion. Under his leadership, BKB played a decisive role in bringing bare\u2011knuckle boxing out of illegality and into a regulated, medically supervised, and internationally broadcast sport.<\/p>\n
Through BKB, Freeman helped establish robust operational standards covering fighter safety, medical protocols, officiating, matchmaking, and event regulation, setting benchmarks that influenced the global bare\u2011knuckle boxing landscape. The promotion successfully delivered more than 40 professional events, staged at major venues including London\u2019s Indigo at The O2 and Liverpool Echo Arena, with broadcasts reaching audiences in over 35 countries worldwide. BKB also expanded internationally, hosting events in locations such as Thailand, reinforcing its global footprint.<\/p>\n
In 2024, BKB was acquired by BYB Extreme Bare Knuckle Fighting Series, further validating the commercial and sporting foundations laid by Freeman. He remained in an executive role, overseeing European operations and international development, and continued to be regarded as one of the key architects of the modern bare\u2011knuckle movement.<\/p>\n
In his new role with IBA, Freeman will be responsible for strategic leadership of IBA\u2019s Bare\u2011Knuckle Boxing programme, including:<\/p>\n
Development of technical and competition rules<\/p>\n
Establishment of global safety and medical standards<\/p>\n
Integration of bare\u2011knuckle boxing within IBA\u2019s wider governance structures<\/p>\n
Support for national federations and event organisers<\/p>\n
Long\u2011term growth and professionalisation of the discipline worldwide<\/p>\n
IBA President Umar Kremlev said: \u201cJim Freeman is one of the true pioneers of modern bare\u2011knuckle boxing. He has already done what many believed was impossible \u2013 transforming an unregulated activity into a professional, sanctioned sport. His experience, credibility, and knowledge make him the ideal person to lead IBA\u2019s bare\u2011knuckle boxing development.\u201d<\/p>\n
IBA Secretary General & CEO Chris Roberts OBE added: \u201cJim\u2019s appointment reflects IBA\u2019s determination to bring structure, credibility, and proper governance to every discipline under our umbrella. He has proven, through action, that bare\u2011knuckle boxing can be regulated responsibly, with athlete safety, integrity, and professionalism at its core. His experience as a founder and operator gives IBA exactly the expertise required to develop bare\u2011knuckle boxing in a sustainable and globally consistent manner.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jim Freeman commented: \u201cI am proud to join the International Boxing Association as IBA Bare\u2011Knuckle Director. IBA\u2019s global reach and commitment to structure, safety, and athletes aligns with everything we fought for when building BKB. I look forward to helping IBA establish a clear, credible and sustainable future for bare\u2011knuckle boxing worldwide.\u201d<\/p>\n
The appointment reflects IBA\u2019s commitment to bringing emerging combat disciplines under professional governance, ensuring athlete welfare, transparency, and long\u2011term sustainability while respecting the historical roots of boxing.<\/p>\n
About the International Boxing Association (IBA)<\/p>\n
The International Boxing Association (IBA) is the world governing body for boxing, overseeing international competitions, technical standards, and development programmes across its global membership. IBA is committed to athlete protection, fair competition, and the global growth of boxing in all its forms.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Lausanne, Switzerland, 6th March, 2026: The International Boxing Association (IBA) is pleased to announce the appointment of Jim…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":517640,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[447],"tags":[703,49,48,82],"class_list":["post-517639","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-boxing","tag-boxing","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/517639","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=517639"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/517639\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/517640"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=517639"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=517639"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=517639"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}