McConnico Gets Off The Mat To Get First TKO In Clearwater, Florida

Rickie McConnico earned his first Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) knockout against Mike Heckert in Clearwater, FL, but not without drama. McConnico (1-1) came into his latest fight as the classic underdog, and even followed the underdog script, by getting knocked down in the first round.

McConnico described it more as a lapse in focus, rather than his opponent outsmarting him. "I had a feeling it was coming next," he said. "He kept throwing straights and I just got lazy. If you watch the fight I got straight up and didn't even take the full count. I was good. I was thinking to myself it's no way you just got hit with that! I knew he was gonna come on strong thinking I was hurt but I was ready for it."

McConnico would quickly regain his focus and apply a steady work rate to knock down Heckert twice in the third and final round. Heckert was unable to continue due to injury.

For McConnico, going on the road to fight in unfriendly locations is the standard, not the unusual.

"Being from Alabama, I'm always the underdog. If I want good fights I have to go outside of Alabama. I'm used to it. I already know I'm gonna go out there and get booed. But I look at it like hey, y'all are gonna be mad when I beat your hometown hero. I love it."

McConnico's record is 1-1 in BKFC and he is looking forward to going on the road to beat more hometown heroes.