In his leopard inspired buzz cut, Mark Irwin is unmistakable. But even if he wasn’t clad in blonde hair with the spots, watching “The Shark” would be unmistakable. Relentlessly pursuing onslaught and offense, Irwin is a bare knuckle boxing fan’s perfect fighter.
Irwin will be rematching Julio Tanori at BYB 31 this weekend as he challenges the only man to hand him a loss in the Trigon. Irwin is looking for revenge and vows to get the majority decision loss back from Tanori as he hopes to snag the Police Gazette Lightweight Diamond belt from his new rival.
Going into BYB 31, Mark Irwin is prepared to do anything to get revenge and the lightweight title. “I’m getting my hand raised and I’m leaving with the belt,” says Irwin. Determination is not only his attitude, but it’s apparent in how he fights. There’s no easy night out with the California native.
Irwin and Tanori put on an absolute classic of a fight. With back and forth action from both fighters, the fight should have been on more “Fight of the Year” tickets in 2023. With Irwin being undefeated in bare knuckle before this, a perfect 3-0 at the time, Irwin was prepared for a war. He was surprised, however, after he dropped Julio Tanori and didn’t end the fight there.
“I was surprised he got up after I dropped him.” But he’s not hunting a finish quickly this fight. He’s ready for the full seven rounds. “The finish will come when it comes.”
That decision did not go his way. Tanori went home with the dub and the title. Irwin took qualms with that decision. He is ready to get back to action to fix that mistake.
“Myself and a lot of people felt I won that fight. That’s why we are running it right back.”
As an athlete, a bear knuckle fighter at that, Mark Irwin knows that continuous improvement is mandatory for longevity and greatness. His focus is, and has always been, on getting better.
“I always improve and grow every camp,” Irwin says. “Every fight, every year. And this camp and fight is no different.”
Greatness is a major driving factor for Irwin. But he’s also looking to leave his mark (no pun intended) on fighting sports by helping combat brain injuries.
“I’m chasing all time greatness and raising awareness and funding for my research foundation Athletes Journey Home which is working to reverse brain damage and ptsd caused by traumatic brain injuries using psychedelics.”
BYB 31: Stockyard Brawl goes down this weekend in Denver, Colorado. With Mark Irwin and Julio Tanori on the bill, the fight is a must watch. Going back to see the two’s first fight, there is no way this fight will be boring.
The Trigon, BYB’s triangular ring, is part of that recipe for non-stop action. Irwin is right at home in that arena of combat.
“What I love about fighting in the Trigon is the chaos it creates, [there’s] nowhere to run. It’s the greatest fighting surface in combat sports.”
So why tune in? BYB 31 has a track record of action-packed finishes from start to finish. From Tanori-Irwin 2 to the title fight between Patricia Juarez and Khortni Kamyron, this card is in that same vein. Mark Irwin takes a moment to sell the fight and takes a humorous offense to the question on why to tune in to BYB 31.
“Is that a serious question? The first fight was one of the greatest fights of all time. This will be historic, explosive, can’t miss TV.”
Closing, Mark Irwin shouts what he knows he will hear this weekend after he and Tanori face off again. “AND NEW!”
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