Submitted photos

By Ray Hamill — It hasn’t taken Ryan Petersen long to establish himself as an up-and-coming fighter in the world of bare knuckle fighting.

The Humboldt County native got his start at a Bear River Casino Resort fight night last year and is now closing in on a possible title fight with the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship.

On Friday night, Petersen will headline a BKFC fight night in Philadelphia and a victory for the welterweight could see him get a coveted title showdown.

Petersen will take on Dustin Pague in Friday’s main event, which will be broadcast live all over the world on several platforms, including Amazon Prime, DAZN, Fubo TV and the BKFC app.

And Petersen, who is 2-0 in BKFC bouts, is relishing the opportunity and determined to ultimately claim a title.

“This will be a high-ranking fight,” he said before flying out to Philadelphia earlier this week. “And how beautiful would it be to bring a title back back to Humboldt County.”

Friday’s fight will be a challenging one for the Hydesville resident. 

Pague is an experienced opponent and a UFC veteran who competed on season 14 of The Ultimate Fighter, compiling a 12-11 career in the cage.

As a bare knuckle fighter, Pague is 4-2 and this will be the second time he has headlined a BKFC fight night.

“It’s a big fight. He’s a big name opponent,” Petersen said. “I couldn’t ask for a better opponent. He’s a good, strong opponent. It’s a good challenge, a good test. He’s fast, he’s strong, he knows what he’s doing. He’s no bum for sure.”

Petersen last fought in January, winning with an unanimous decision over Matthew Socholotiuk at the Pechanga Resort Casino in Temecula.

And the recently-turned 40-year-old is determined to take full advantage of his opportunities while he still can.

Submitted photos – Ryan Petersen celebrates his win in January with his cornermen Jay Jauncey, left, and Sep Khademi, right.

“Three times a year is busy in fighting, but I’m of the mind the clock is ticking for me,” he said. “Let me fight every two months.”

Petersen, who trains at Next Level Boxing in Eureka and at Redwood Muay Thai in Fortuna, has been busy preparing for the big fight.

“I just try to stay in general shape and not get too heavy,” he said. “But when it comes down to the last two months before a fight, that’s when I amp it up. I’m really big on the discipline it takes to not miss a workout.”

Petersen’s cornermen Jay Jauncey and Sep Khademi will make the trip to Philadelphia with him and he says he has received a lot of support from the local fight community.

“I get great support in the county,” he said. “Everybody shakes my hand and wishes me luck.

“People tell me I’m an inspiration, and that’s an inspiration for me.”

His biggest fans are his two sons, Rambo (6) and Callan (3), and his wife Laura.

“She’s the best,” Petersen said of Laura. “She’s my right leg and my left arm. I couldn’t do it without her.”

The longtime kick boxer switched to bare knuckle fighting after it became legal in California in 2023 and got his start at Bear River in May of last year before quickly moving on to the BKFC and winning his debut fight in November.

And he says he will always be grateful to Bear River, where he became the first fighter to be inducted into the casino resort’s fight hall of fame earlier this year.

“They’ve treated me fantastic,” he said. “I feel honored to be put into their hall of fame. They put on a good show and it’s a great platform for upcoming fighters.”

For Petersen, pursuing a career in bare knuckle fighting is a dream come true.

“I’m living my dream,” he said. “I’m living an unbelievable life right now. You have to pursue fear to accomplish anything worth fighting for in life.”

The fight will also be broadcast on the BKFC app, which fans can download through Petersen’s Instagram page.