Sanctioned · Bare-Knuckle · Fresno, CA
Born in the ring. Built by the people who bled in it.
The West Coast's first-ever pro bare knuckle organization.
The mission
The rawest form of the fight game
Bare knuckle boxing was legalized in California in 2024. Big Dawg Bare Knuckle Boxing was built the moment the ink dried, not by promoters chasing a trend, but by fighters who spent their careers getting paid to take punches.
We exist for the hard-working, blue-collar people of the Central Valley. The folks who clock in before sunrise and want an honest night of combat when they clock out. No gloves to hide behind. No theatrics. Two men, ten feet of canvas and the truth.
Raw does not mean reckless. Big Dawg enforces strict safety protocols while preserving the historical legacy of the sport. Fighters are not allowed to wrap their hands within one inch of the knuckle, that single rule is what separates real bare knuckle from padded imitations, and we protect it as fiercely as we protect our athletes.
01
Commission sanctioned
Every bout runs under International Fight Commission rules with licensed officials and ringside physicians.
02
One-inch rule
Hands cannot be wrapped within one inch of the knuckle, the truest, most historically faithful form of bare knuckle.
03
Paid medicals
Pre-fight screening, on-site trauma response and post-fight care are covered by the promotion, not the fighter.
04
Veteran officiating
Referees and judges are required to hold extensive professional combat sports experience.
Founder
Lavar “Big Dawg” Johnson
Founder spotlight
From Madera to the UFC, and back home
Lavar Johnson grew up in Madera and cut his teeth in Fresno, where they called him “Black Superman” on the football field long before he ever put on a pair of four-ounce gloves. The nickname followed him into combat sports, and so did the power.
He fought as a heavyweight in the UFC, Strikeforce, Bellator and WEC, building a professional MMA record of 19 wins, 18 of them by knockout, and later captured the Valor Bare Knuckle Heavyweight Championship. Fighters who shared a cage with him will tell you the same thing: he did not go looking for decisions.
In 2019 Lavar moved to bare knuckle boxing and found the sport that fit him best. When California legalized it, he had one goal, bring that unfiltered action back to his home turf and pay Valley fighters properly for it.
19
Pro MMA wins
18
By knockout
5
Major promotions
Leadership
The architects behind the promotion
Big Dawg is run by people who have been on the wrong end of a punch. That is not marketing, it is the reason fighters trust us with their nights.
Co-Founder / Talent Development
Ralph Alvarado
Former fighter and owner of Ralph's House MMA. Ralph runs the talent pipeline, scouting and preparing the Valley's next headliners. His relationships span more than 30 gyms across Fresno, which means fighters get vetted, coached and matched by people who already know their game.
Fighter first
We care about the fighter experience
Because Big Dawg is run by seasoned fighters, we understand what fighters actually respect: purses paid on time, clean weigh-ins, real medical coverage and matchmaking that is competitive instead of convenient.
Our referees and judges are required to have extensive professional combat sports experience. Nobody learns the job on your fight night. A stoppage happens when it should, a scorecard reflects what happened in the ring, and an athlete goes home able to fight again.
Treat fighters like the product and they show up like it. That is why the Valley's best keep signing with us.
The gallery
Lavar Johnson, up close
Fight nights, weigh-ins and Octagon moments from the Valley heavyweight who brought bare-knuckle boxing home. Tap any photo to view it full size.
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