Sean Wheelock, an executive vice president and commentator for Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC), addressed commissioners during the public‑comment period to ask that the department allow BKFC to hold events in Texas.

“I’m Sean Wheelock, an executive vice president and the television commentator for Bear Knuckle Fighting Championship,” Wheelock said, stating BKFC operates under the Association of Boxing Commissions’ unified rules of bare‑knuckle fighting and is currently legal in 26 states and several jurisdictions abroad. He described the promotion’s event history — including more than 1,200 bouts across 114 events since June 2018, a sold‑out Philadelphia event of 17,762 attendees, and other international and domestic shows — and said BKFC would follow TDLR rules and any additional regulations the department sets.

Wheelock said BKFC employs a full‑time chief medical officer, Dr. Don Mooce, MD, and that the promotion would seek to stage major arena events in Dallas, Houston, San Antonio and Austin with anticipated attendance exceeding 15,000. “If we're allowed to hold events in Texas, we would bring arena shows annually to Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, and Austin,” he told the commission. Wheelock said a major card was standing by and projected to sell more than 18,000 tickets.

Chairman Rick Figueroa acknowledged the comment and said the matter was on the department’s radar; Vice Chair Tom Butler was named to chair a related work group for combative sports matters. No formal action was taken during the meeting on BKFC’s request; the public‑comment statement was recorded for the record and staff indicated work‑group review and regulatory oversight would follow.