Monthly Archives: January 2023

Coming off Historic 2022 BYB Announces Series of Initiatives Slated for 2023

Miami, FL – Born in the backyard of Dhafir “Dada 5000” Harris at his renowned Greenhouse in West Perrine, developed by visionary Miami businessman Mike Vazquez, and now lead by combat sports veteran Gregory Bloom, the Miami-based BYB Extreme Fighting Series announced today a number of initiatives slated for 2023 on the heels of its historic 2022.

Bloom, who took over CEO duties this past September from Vazquez, announced today that BYB will open its 2023 campaign at the Miramar National Guard Armory on February 3, and laid out plans for subsequent events.

Said Bloom, “2022 was an incredible year for our company, and 2023 is already looking to dwarf those accomplishments.  After our kickoff at home in South Florida this February, in the first half of 2023, BYB will put on a pair of international shows on two separate continents, an exhibition in a new state and in one of the country’s top DMAs, and roll out a handful of disruptive partnerships that are sure to realign the fight sports landscape.” 

Since 2015, BYB has created a blueprint for upstart combat sports to position themselves for mainstream popularity, without sacrificing the lessons learned via its community-based roots in poverty-riddled West Perrine. 

“In those early days,” Harris says, “the backyard was a way for the community to come together in a healthy and respectful way.  We harnessed aggression and frustration that was festering in the neighborhood and turned it into a positive. Whether we are in South Florida, Carolina or London, that attitude and commitment continues today.”

Said Vazquez, “The sport comes first. From top to bottom, our leadership team is composed of individuals with a track record of success and respectability in sports, entertainment and business. Taking cues from Dada’s early days at the Greenhouse and lessons learned from decades of experience, BYB has developed its own home-grown stars, taking a slow, long-term and strategic approach to roll-out and growth, and is positioning our brand and talent to flourish for years to come.”  

He added, “BYB matches are built to bring out the best in competitors and, in turn, the sport.  Spectators leave our shows knowing they were at a genuine sporting event with bonafide athletes. The quick, action-filled rounds and matches in the smallest fighting surface in combat sports are structured to leave viewers – in the arena or watching around the world – entertained.” 

With the full-time involvement of Bloom, who previously served as BYB’s counsel and has almost 20 years of combat sports experience, BYB is committed to positioning itself as not just a leader in bare knuckle fighting, but in combat sports.   

Among 2022’s historic highlights alluded to above, BYB:

• hosted the first-ever sanctioned women’s bare knuckle event in UK history;
• hosted he first-ever women’s championship match in UK History;
• hosted the first-ever bare knuckle fighting event in South Carolina history;
• broadcasted on OTT and OTA platforms through Sinclair Broadcast Group’s Stadium 
• hosted the return of live professional sports to Trump National Doral Miami following the PGA’s withdraw in 2016;
• saw three executives – Vazquez, Harris and Matchmaker Mel Valenzuela – inducted into the Bare Knuckle Boxing Hall of Fame in Belfast, NY.

Said Harris, “Each year and each show builds upon those before it and the foundation we laid right here in Miami.  We are committed to doing the very best by our competitors, fans and partners, and I couldn’t be more proud of the legacy we are building and the history we are making.”  

BYB 15: Broward Brawl will be held February 3 at the Miramar National Guard Armory, 5001 Flamingo Rd, Miramar, FL 33025.  Tickets are on-sale now at bybtickets.com

ABOUT GREGORY BLOOM

Bloom is a partner at the sports and entertainment law firm of ChaseLawyers and has almost twenty years experience in the world of combat sports. During that time period, he has represented multiple Olympic medalists, top-ranked fighters and world-champions in both boxing and MMA, and has helped them negotiate lucrative agreements with entities such as UFC, Bellator, Strikeforce, Top Rank, Matchroom, Probellum and PBC. He also worked for nine (9) years as general counsel for world- renowned MMA organization Combate Global, and during that time assisted them in their securing of major media deals with internationally recognized television and streaming platforms such as ESPN, Univision, Telemundo, Televisa, NBC Sports and Eurosport.  Additionally, Mr. Bloom has also worked as a licensed promoter for the past six (6) years, and he has successfully promoted over seventy (70) live events throughout the world. 

ABOUT BYB

Originating in South Florida with backyard legend Dada 5000, whose backyard fights gained worldwide popularity online, BYB was founded to harness the excitement of bare knuckle boxing into a more structured product for a wider, more mainstream audience. Since 2015, BYB has worked diligently to grow the reach of bare knuckle boxing on both a domestic and international level, hosting events in Wyoming, Mississippi, Florida and London, and is continuing to work with athletic commissions throughout the United States globally to expand the fanbase growing sport of bare knuckle boxing. For more information on BYB, visit bybextreme.com and follow @bybextreme on social.

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