Staff report

DULUTH, Ga. — Justin Watson, a China Grove bare-knuckle fighter, made history on Friday when he won the swiftest bout in the history of combat sports.

A 5-foot-7, 147-pounder fighting in the featherweight division, Watson scored a knockout with his first — and last — punch of the night. He floored his opponent in what is going into the history books as a two-second knockout. Officially, the fight had a duration of 2.9 seconds on the stopwatch of  BKFC (Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship) founder and president David Feldman.

Watson, 37, started his career in combat sports as an amateur competing in Mixed Martial Arts. He also had professional MMA bouts before switching to bare-knuckle fighting.

Watson, who came into the fight with an 0-2 bare-knuckle record, last fought in November 2023, but he was on the main card as part of BKFC 69, an event held in Duluth, Ga.

Watson’s opponent, Cole Ferrell, had considerable success in MMA (11-2), was 1-0 in bare knuckle fighting, and was a heavy favorite to handle Watson, but as soon as the opening bell rang, Watson took a step forward and fired a right, a perfect punch that caught Ferrell flush on the forehead. Ferrell, 32, immediately tumbled face first to the canvas, and the referee stopped the bout.

Ferrell wasn’t happy about the quick verdict, but he was knocked for a loop and was still wobbly after he got to his feet.

BKFC said the previous fastest KO record was three seconds, set by Ulysses Diaz when he stopped Donelei Benedetto at BKFC 14 in 2020. Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship bouts are contested in a ring with five two-minute rounds. Fighters can wrap and tape their wrist, thumb and mid-hand, but no gauze or tape can be within 2.5 centimeters of the knuckles.Punches are the only strike allowed.

The record-setting knockout could lead to more opportunities in the ring for Watson.