Ben Rothwell exits BKFC 56 as fight with Todd Duffee set for February

BKFC 56 has taken a hit.

The co-main event between Ben Rothwell and Todd Duffee has been postponed after Rothwell came down with an illness, BKFC president David Feldman announced Thursday at the BKFC 56 news conference.

“Ben Rothwell actually came down really, really sick this morning, and he’s not going to be able to compete,” Feldman said. “We tried to get a last-minute replacement for Todd Duffee, and we just couldn’t line it up, so we’re going to push that for February. Sorry to the fans for that one, but we still have a stacked card.”

Duffee, who still attended the BKFC 56 news conference, wasn’t happy with the development and took a shot at Rothwell for withdrawing.

“I fought with COVID my last fight, so I really think Ben’s real fight is happening with the scale,” Duffee said. “I think Thanksgiving was his biggest opponent. I don’t know what else to really add to that. Again, I fought with COVID, I understand what it’s like, but you make a commitment, you try to get out there and make it happen. I don’t think Ben by any means is a weak man. Maybe he’s going through something I don’t understand, but I think his biggest fight was Thanksgiving. And I think that’s where he lost.”

This was supposed to be Duffee’s debut in bareknuckle boxing, but now he’ll have to wait until the first quarter of next year. Rothwell was set to make his third BKFC appearance since his UFC departure in March 2022. Rothwell is 2-0 in bareknuckle.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for BKFC 56.

Story originally appeared on MMA Junkie