The Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC 66) has reminded its followers on social media about a fight in which Leonardo Perdomo, the Cuban boxer known as "El Zambo de Cienfuegos," knocked down the American Steven "The Panda" Banks and left him unconscious in just 44 seconds of the first round, held in September 2024 at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida.
The fight, contested in the heavyweight category of professional boxing and scheduled for five rounds, did not last even a full minute of action.
From the opening bell, Perdomo took control with a powerful right hook and a series of body blows that sent Banks to the canvas for the first time. Banks tried to recover, but Perdomo didn't give him a moment's respite. He kept pressing with the jab and right hand until he scored a second knockdown that forced the referee to stop the fight.
«Leonardo Perdomo continues to impress,» the official event commentator declared.
What made the victory even more remarkable was the physical disadvantage that Perdomo overcame: Banks weighed 290 pounds (131.5 kg) compared to the Cuban's 263.2 pounds (119.4 kg), and had a height advantage of four inches—6'5" against 5'11". None of that mattered.
After the match, the fighter from Cienfuegos approached the camera to challenge other boxers. "The Zambo is here!" he shouted.
In April, during an interview, Perdomo challenged everyone in bare-knuckle boxing: "I am the number one now. In the whole world. The number one from Cuba to the world”, a statement that his career more than supports.
Outside the ring, he has made headlines. In March, at the weigh-in for BKFC 87 in Miami, he stole the show by appearing chained at the feet, hands, and neck, a scene rich in symbolism.
The chains represented oppression, and on stage, she decided to break them as a sign of liberation. «Down with communism, long live free Cuba!», she shouted, a scene that was widely shared and celebrated.
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