Humboldt County’s Ryan Petersen continued to represent the North Coast well in bare knuckle fighting, winning his second straight BKFC (Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship) fight over the weekend.
The Hydesville resident traveled to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, for a Friday night showdown against Gregoris Cisneros and took the victory on an opening-round TKO.
This was the second time the local fighter fought in a BKFC main event and he did not disappoint, taking a dominating win despite being the underdog.
“You know, it was one of those things where I weathered the storm,” he said. “I’ve never been dropped by a punch. I’ve had my skull fractured three times but I’ve never been knocked out.”
With the victory, Petersen improved to 5-2 as a professional fighter, including a 4-2 record in BKFC events.
After dropping back-to-back fights over the second half of 2025, Petersen has now won both of his fights this year, including a unanimous decision win over Daniel Keepers in May.
But he had to overcome some adversity this past weekend, battling a serious sinus infection for the three weeks leading up to the event.
“I kept pushing through and pushing through,” he said. “It just wore me out. It was hard to breathe.”
Petersen, who got his start in the sport at a Bear River Casino fight night, battled through the adversity to overcome the odds.
The 41-year-old Humboldt County fighter was an underdog going up against the 30-year-old Venezuelan who trains out of Chicago.
The loss was just the second for Cisneros, who dropped to 5-2.
Cisneros came out strong but Petersen weathered the storm and took advantage of his opportunity when it came, landing a couple of nice jabs before dropping his opponent with a right-handed punch.
“He came out and threw the kitchen sink at me and I was trying to counter and counter,” Petersen said. “It was nice to show out and show up.”
The win was even more impressive considering Petersen had to travel without his regular corner man, Jay Jauncey, who was unable to make the trip because of other commitments.
In his place, Petersen recruited Dustin Pague, one of the two fighters to beat him last year.
“We did an excellent job together,” Petersen said of Pague. “We work well together. We’ve become friends.”
Petersen is expected to be back in action sometime in the future but is enjoying this victory for now, as he continues to represent the county well in the sport.
“It’s a good example of what determination will get you if you trust in yourself,” he said.
