Trout's Apollo Creed walkout backfires as Bonner knocks him out in round two at BKFC Liberty Brawl

Ben Bonner knocked out Austin Trout in the second round of the BKFC Liberty Brawl main event at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia on Friday, ending Trout’s five-fight winning streak and claiming the BKFC welterweight championship.

Trout arrived at the ring dressed as Apollo Creed from Rocky IV, complete with the star-spangled outfit and trunks, accompanied by a live performance of James Brown’s Living in America — the same theatrical entrance Creed makes before his ill-fated bout with Ivan Drago in the film. The parallel was hard to miss: just as Creed’s showmanship couldn’t save him in the movie, Trout’s couldn’t save him on the night.

Bonner ended the contest with a thudding right hand that put Trout on the canvas in round two, finishing the fight and handing the 40-year-old his first loss since transitioning to bare-knuckle boxing in 2023.

Trout had built an impressive record in BKFC after leaving traditional boxing, winning five consecutive bouts and capturing the welterweight title along the way. His pedigree — he is a former WBA welterweight champion — had made him one of the promotion’s marquee names, and the Liberty Brawl card, timed to coincide with the Fourth of July, was designed to showcase him at his theatrical best.

Instead, it was Bonner who left Philadelphia with the hardware. The knockout also earned Bonner the BKFC welterweight title, a significant prize that underlines just how decisive the victory was.