Yuriorkis Gamboa, the former world champion and Olympic gold medalist in Athens 2004, made his victorious debut in bare-knuckle boxing this Saturday at the BKB 58 event, held at the James L. Knight Center in Miami, defeating the Nicaraguan Yesner "Cuajadita" Talavera by unanimous decision with scores of 50-44 on all three cards.
At 44 years old, "The Cyclone of Guantánamo" made it clear that his commitment to bare knuckle boxing—where fighters compete without gloves, only using light wraps—is not a farewell gesture, but rather the beginning of a new chapter with ambitions for a world title.
The fight was one of the most anticipated of the evening, which featured the main event of the heavyweight BKB title defense by fellow Cuban Gustavo Trujillo, who knocked out American Mick Terrill in the second round to maintain his undefeated record of nine victories, all by knockout.
Gamboa enters this discipline backed by a professional record of 30 wins —18 by knockout— and five losses, accumulated in matches against notable figures such as Terence Crawford, Gervonta Davis, Devin Haney, and Isaac "Pitbull" Cruz.
Crawford himself publicly acknowledged the Guantanamero as one of his toughest rivals and the most powerful puncher he faced throughout his career.
Under the technical direction of coach Eric Castaños, the Cuban signed a multi-year contract with BKB Bare Knuckle Boxing and stated that bare-knuckle boxing is "the oldest form of boxing," with eyes set on the organization's world championship.
Gamboa's debut in Miami comes two years after one of the most challenging episodes of his life: on December 31, 2022, the boxer fatally struck a pedestrian in the Songo la Maya tunnel in Santiago de Cuba while driving a rental vehicle.
He was immediately detained and remained in Cuba with his passport confiscated for more than a year and a half, until a judge handed down an acquittal on August 12, 2024.
After the verdict, the boxer was acquitted and returned to Miami at the end of that same month with the intention of resuming his career as soon as possible.
"There was no need to bribe anyone... the right thing was done, and it was finally proven that I was not at fault," the athlete declared.
Gamboa's record includes the WBA featherweight title, won in 2009, and the IBF title, obtained in 2010, making him the first Cuban to hold that belt.
With their victory on Saturday, the "Cyclone" now boasts a record of 1-0 in the new discipline and aims to become a benchmark in bare-knuckle boxing, following in the footsteps of Trujillo, who already reigns in the heavyweight category of BKB with absolute dominance.
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