BKFC ex-prisoner’s fight ends in 4th round KO against active duty cop who felt bad for his kids

Former UFC contender and active duty cop Jimmy Rivera knocked out ex-con Brandon Meyer in the fourth round at BKFC 95 in Newark. Jimmy Rivera’s life took him from the UFC bantamweight division to the New Jersey police force, but the former competitor continued to fight inside the ring. At BKFC 95 in Newark, Rivera faced Brandon Meyer, who spent 12 years in federal prison before pursuing combat sports, in a bout that drew attention to the very different paths the two men took. Rivera eventually won by knockout, though he apologized to Meyer’s children at the end.

Rivera and Meyer’s unusual paths brought them together at BKFC 95

The bout took place on the BKFC 95 undercard at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, where the promotion featured a card headlined by Jamel Herring vs. John Dodson for the BKFC Bantamweight Title. BKFC, which hosts bare-knuckle competitions, recently attracted attention with a fight between former UFC stars Darren Till and Yoel Romero.Rivera, a former UFC bantamweight who has faced former champions Petr Yan and Aljamain Sterling, entered the fight as an on-duty police officer. Meanwhile, Meyer spent 12 years behind bars before turning to mixed martial arts and bare-knuckle fighting.Meyer’s involvement with the criminal justice system began when he was 12 years old and placed on juvenile probation after a friend told police he had broken into an ice machine. His stepfather was later sentenced to life in prison for murder, and Meyer himself spent more than a decade in federal prison.He eventually found his way into the fight after a fight at a party that spilled into the park, where about 50 or 60 people had gathered to watch. The contrast between Rivera’s law enforcement work and Meyer’s past came up during an esteemed interview with Jake Noeker when Rivera offered a line that captured the unusual nature of their competition.“He gets to beat me up and not get arrested for it, so it’s a win,” Rivera said.

Rivera stopped Meyer by knockout in the fourth round

The fight ended 46 seconds into the fourth round when Rivera landed a combination of punches that sent Meyer to the canvas. The referee stepped in and waved the match off, giving Rivera the win.Rivera, who now holds a 4-1 record at BKFC, acknowledged the harshness of the goal afterward, saying he felt especially bad because Meyer’s children were in his corner.“It’s unbelievable. Thank you to Jersey, my friends, my family – everyone who came out to support me. It’s a huge arena and it’s packed,” Rivera said.He then addressed the knockout and family members who witnessed it.“I feel really bad because his kids were in his corner and the blow I hit was a blow. I apologized to them and said I’m sorry but I was looking for the only one,” Rivera said.Rivera explained that he tried to stay patient rather than force an exchange, adding, “I took my time. Surprisingly, he didn’t get involved that much. I had to be patient.”

From UFC contender to New Jersey cop

Rivera’s fighting career was once centered around the UFC where he competed at bantamweight against some of the top names in the division. His life changed significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic when he began to explore work outside of professional wrestling.He initially tried his hand at dispatch and later taught jiu-jitsu to police officers before graduating from the New Jersey Police Academy in January 2023. He subsequently joined the Elmwood Park Police Department, balancing law enforcement with his work as a gym owner, instructor and BKFC fighter.The transition wasn’t just a career change, Rivera told MMA Junkie, but reflected his need to stay employed and continue working.“I won’t say I have ADHD, but I can’t stop,” he said. “I always have to work. I always have to do something. I’m all about the grind.”Rivera also talked about the mental strain of not having anything to do, especially after watching people struggle with retirement.“It’s also very bad psychologically to do nothing. You see people who retire and do nothing. They end up going back to it or they deteriorate mentally and they don’t look their best,” he said.Before the pandemic, Rivera was a UFC contender; he now combines police work with training, teaching and competition, sometimes in 70- to 80-hour work weeks. His knockout of Meyer at BKFC 95 added another chapter to this unusually eventful life, even as he left the ring worried about his family watching the fight.