Luis Palomino has been the most successful fighter in the history of the BKFC, having gone 8-0 and become a two-division champion. Despite being touted as the face of the promotion, Palomino is still waiting for the chance to headline against a high-profile opponent signed in free agency. He has consistently called out fighters like Eddie Alvarez, Chad Mendes, and Mike Perry, but his requests have allegedly been disregarded, leaving him increasingly frustrated with his schedule.

Palomino vented his frustration, stating, “These guys do not want to see me…I think they are ducking me.” Palomino had been calling out Mendes for a year, but he never got a response. Mendes eventually returned to face Alvarez in a fight that became one of the most discussed events of the year, leaving Palomino to believe that Mendes was only interested in the attention he would receive from a fight with Alvarez over facing the best.

Palomino is now beginning to feel the same way about Alvarez after his recent victory over Mendes. Although Alvarez has stated that he may compete in bare-knuckle fighting again, he is not convinced that he will be Palomino’s opponent.

Palomino nearly landed a well-known competitor when he was scheduled to face former boxing champion Austin Trout, who had defeated UFC legend Diego Sanchez in his BKFC debut. However, the deal fell through, and Palomino was instead matched with Lilley.

Palomino is not looking past Lilley but is beginning to understand the risk versus reward in matchups with up-and-coming fighters versus established veterans. Although he considers it frustrating, Palomino continues to hear relative newcomers like Mike Perry being named the face of the promotion even though he feels he has been the most consistent fighter on the roster since his debut in 2020.

Palomino is hopeful that someone will eventually accept his challenge so that he can finally experience a moment under the spotlight, just like so many MMA and boxing veterans received without any prior bare-knuckle experience. He hopes that fighters signed in free agency will come and earn their money by facing him, even if it means giving up a title or two in the process.