LT Nelson vs James Connelly Rematch for the BYB Super Middleweight Championship to Headline at BYB 35: Albuquerque Brawl

ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO – BYB Extreme, the biggest and baddest bare knuckle company on the planet, makes its New Mexico debut with a night of hard-hitting action on January 11, 2025, at Revel ABQ in Albuquerque.  The historic card will be headlined by the long-awaited rematch between two of the most accomplished bare-knuckle fighters on the planet when BYB two-division champion LT “Smash” Nelson defends his BYB Super Middleweight Police Gazette Diamond Belt against Birmingham, England’s James “The Truth” Connelly.

The fight is a rematch of their BYB 19 championship fight that ended in a draw and went on to be named the 2023 Bare Knuckle Hall of Fame Police Gazette Fight of the Year.  It was Connelly’s first fight in the US and Nelson had taken the fight on late-notice, replacing Desmond Green.

Since their 2023 fight, Nelson and Connelly have formed a friendly bond, and might even consider each other pals. Each is throwing that out the window come January.

Said Nelson, “I can’t wait for this rematch so I can shut up all of James Connelly fans and show everyone who the true and real super middleweight champion of the world is.  More important I want to show the world that I did win that first fight – even though the people judging somehow say it as a draw (ridiculous)!

“James is now a friend, but just like I’ve said in the past, as soon as I step in that Trigon, I’m trying to kill; and James better be ready to take it to that point because I’m always ready to go and I’m ready to die in there.”

Said Connelly noting Nelson’s unbeaten record against 5 UK bare knuckle champions, “After he [Nelson] had beaten all the British fighters he has faced, I believe my trainer put it best when he said to me ‘There is only one man for the job.’”

“We are two of the best in the world and I’m happy that this inevitable rematch is finally happening. Nelson is a great guy, but we are fighters, and when that bell rings, we haven’t got time to be friends.”

‍Card subject to change.  More fights and ticketing information to be announced soon. 

BYB’s next show is December 6 when it returns home to South Florida for BYB 34 Brawl in the Pines IV. BYB is broadcast live globally on bkbworld.tv and on Fuse TV, The Fight Network and BeIN Sports in North America, as well as through direct channel partnerships in countries throughout the world. For more information, tickets, and more, follow @bybextreme on all social media platforms and visit bybextreme.com.

Roberto Villa

Roberto Villa is the CEO, Founder, Executive Writer, Senior Editor of FightBook MMA. Has a passion for Combat Sports and also a podcast host for Sitting Ringside. He’s also a former MMA fighter and Kickboxer.