Brian "Mr Red Rims" Maxwell Ram At The Fights interview on Howell

The Brian "Mr Red Rims" Maxwell Ram At The Fights interview brought a firm prediction for his November 20 Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship return in Myrtle Beach: he said his fight with Justin Howell would not reach the third round. Maxwell also told me he wants another BKFC booking soon and plans to call out Derek Brunson for either a bare-knuckle fight or a wrestling match if he beats Howell.

Why is Brian "Mr Red Rims" Maxwell returning to BKFC?

Brian "Mr Red Rims" Maxwell is returning to BKFC after more than three years away because he still considers it his home in bare-knuckle fighting. He said the promotion gave him a second chance, welcomed him back warmly and remains where he wants to finish his fighting career.

Why Maxwell stayed loyal to BKFC

Maxwell corrected the suggestion that he had fought for BKB during his absence. He said he had one outside bare-knuckle fight, but it was for a local or regional company called Strike Fest, not BKB. He does not intend to fight for another bare-knuckle promotion going forward. He has been around BKFC since its second event and said his first fight for the promotion was at BKFC 8.

After signing again and announcing the Howell fight, he received welcome-back messages from people inside BKFC. The response mattered to him: Maxwell said he values loyalty to the people who have been loyal to him. He also said some fighters had declined contracts to face him during his time away, though he did not name them.

What changed in Maxwell’s training

Maxwell said he had been at his current gym for almost a year and had benefited from working with boxers and boxing champions. He has also continued sparring with people he trained with previously. At the time we spoke, he said he had only about two or three pounds left to cut.

His preparation began before he knew he would have a BKFC fight. His gym held amateur boxing fights, and a teammate was preparing to return to professional boxing, so Maxwell trained alongside them. By the time he entered camp for Howell, he felt he had already spent months building toward a fight.

What did Brian "Mr Red Rims" Maxwell say about Justin Howell?

Brian "Mr Red Rims" Maxwell expects Justin Howell to be a tough opponent, but he predicted their Myrtle Beach fight would end by the second round. He described Howell as a brawler whose last fight he saw in person and said his own boxing has become more polished since his previous BKFC appearance.

Maxwell saw Howell fight in Myrtle Beach while he was there to help with the prospect series. He said he likes facing brawlers at this point in his career, while insisting he is not looking past Howell. The prediction was unusually direct for him; he said he normally stops at calling a matchup a good fight. Maxwell put his forecast plainly:

the fight is not going past the second round. I could promise you that

His confidence rests partly on the length of his preparation. Maxwell said he had gained knowledge and added tools since his last BKFC run, and that training with teammates for their own bouts kept him ready before the Howell booking arrived. He wanted Howell to take him just as seriously.

Maxwell’s hoped-for December or January fight

If he beats Howell without taking significant damage or suffering an injury, Maxwell wants a quick turnaround. He said he would like another fight on a December BKFC card, or a place on the promotion’s January cruise card. Those were goals, not bookings he said had been made.

What keeps Brian "Mr Red Rims" Maxwell fighting at 39?

Brian "Mr Red Rims" Maxwell said he turned 39 in August and feels better prepared than he did earlier in his career. He expects to retire from fighting in two or three years, but plans to keep training and helping younger fighters afterward. Fighting, he said, remains central to his life.

Maxwell said experience can matter as much as age in bare-knuckle fighting. He described this as the first time he would fight at 185 while feeling bigger than he usually does at that weight. His knowledge and physical preparation, he said, have come together for this return.

Grief, family and a clearer mind

Asked what he was thankful for ahead of Thanksgiving, Maxwell named his family, friends, teammates, coaches, sponsors and BKFC’s decision to welcome him back. He also spoke about a period when he was unhappy and grieving the loss of his mother heavily.

Now, Maxwell said, he feels happier and mentally clearer. He connected that change to his confidence in camp, while acknowledging that the past three years had brought difficult experiences. He was also looking forward to Thanksgiving food after weeks of watching what he ate for the fight.

What did Brian "Mr Red Rims" Maxwell say about cards, betting and the Washington Commanders?

Brian "Mr Red Rims" Maxwell discussed a large trading-card collection, why he stopped using FanDuel and his hopes for the Washington Commanders. He plans to sell cards with fellow BKFC fighter Tony Loco Soto on Whatnot after the Howell fight, rather than take on that project during camp.

Trading cards and Whatnot

Maxwell estimated that he had more than 5,000 cards, possibly close to 10,000. Most are Pokémon cards, alongside American football, basketball and baseball cards. He still had packs and a box of more than 100 cards to sort through when we spoke.

He said he and Soto planned to stream on Whatnot and sell some cards after his fight. Maxwell also mentioned a baseball card he believes could be particularly valuable, but did not identify it or give a value.

Stepping away from FanDuel and following the Commanders

On betting apps, Maxwell said he had deleted FanDuel and had not used it in about a year. Repeatedly coming close to winning bets across several sports, only to miss by one game, helped convince him to stop. He said staying away was saving him money.

As a Commanders fan, Maxwell thought injuries were a major problem for the team. Looking ahead to games against the New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys, he hoped Washington could reach the playoffs, even if only through a wild-card place. He also discussed the Philadelphia Eagles as part of his view of the division.

Why does Brian "Mr Red Rims" Maxwell want to face Derek Brunson?

Brian "Mr Red Rims" Maxwell plans to call out Derek Brunson after the Howell fight, provided he wins. His first choice is a bare-knuckle fight; if Brunson does not want that, Maxwell said he would wrestle him at a Real American Freestyle event in Charlotte, North Carolina, in January.

The proposed Brunson wrestling match

Maxwell said he would wait until after his BKFC fight before contacting anyone about a Real American Freestyle appearance. He believed a wrestling match would not interfere with a BKFC fight and said he would need the promotion’s permission. He also estimated that Charlotte would be about three and a half hours from him.

His interest draws on a wrestling background that included college and international competition. Maxwell argued that he and Kai Stewart were the best wrestlers in BKFC. He did not say a Brunson matchup had been arranged.

Why Maxwell waits until after camp to host guests

Maxwell is comfortable speaking on camera, something he traced back to interviews during high school wrestling. He said he would resume having guests on his own podcast after the fight, but avoids hosting during camp because preparing for those conversations takes his attention away from training. He is willing to appear on someone else’s show during that period.

How does Brian "Mr Red Rims" Maxwell view his November 20 return?

Brian "Mr Red Rims" Maxwell sees the November 20 prelim bout in Myrtle Beach as a chance to rebuild his place on the BKFC card. He said he understands why he will not have a walkout song and accepts that he must work his way back toward the main card.

Maxwell said his three years away from the spotlight had humbled him. He described himself as grateful to be back, confident in his preparation and ready to see people around the promotion again, while remaining focused on getting through the Howell fight.

He was also eager for people to see the shoes he planned to wear. Maxwell said they fit his feet and gripped better than any shoes he had used in his boxing or bare-knuckle career. He had not named the company and said he would do so after the fight.

Who is Brian "Mr Red Rims" Maxwell?

Brian "Mr Red Rims" Maxwell is a professional light heavyweight Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship fighter with a background in boxing and mixed martial arts. He is known for his aggressive style and knockout power, and brings experience across combat sports to his BKFC return.