Joe Elmore faces Gorjan Slaveski in BKFC 97 co-main event
NXTbets Pro | Published On: November 14, 2026
Elmore rebuilds
Joe “Hitman” Elmore is set to face former BKFC World Welterweight Champion Gorjan “GoGo” Slaveski in the co-main event of BKFC 97. Elmore said he has returned to heavy training after time away, and he is training two or three times a day. He also said he feels better than ever in recovery, shape and punching power. The matchup gives Elmore a chance to test himself against a former champion and to deliver the standout performance he wants after time away. He framed the fight as more than another date on the calendar. For him, it carries the weight of a career marker, the kind of assignment that can define where a fighter stands inside the promotion. That urgency shows in the way he has approached the buildup. Elmore’s comments point to a camp built around volume, discipline and a return to the kind of work that he believes will carry over when the action starts. He is not talking about easing back in. He is talking about pushing harder and arriving ready to make a statement in front of a high-profile opponent.
Slaveski challenge
That credential raises the stakes for Elmore. The fight puts him across from a former champion, which gives the co-main event a layer of significance beyond the usual undercard pressure. Elmore did not present the bout as a routine step forward. He called it the most important fight of his career, a direct sign that he views Slaveski as the type of opponent who can answer questions about where he belongs. Elmore has gone five rounds with Mike Richman, Dustin Pague and Connor Tierney in previous fights. He said he wants to deliver a standout performance after those experiences, and that goal matters here. A clean win over Slaveski would mean more than a line on a record. It would show that Elmore can turn those hard rounds into progress against a former champion. It would also back up his belief that the best version of him is in front of him now, not behind him. In a matchup like this, the difference between a solid night and a career-shaping one can come down to whether a fighter can match reputation with execution.
BKFC 97 stage
BKFC 97 is scheduled for Hard Rock Live in Hollywood, Florida, and the card will stream live on The BKFC App, giving the event a broad platform around a matchup that already has built-in significance. A co-main event slot carries attention on its own, and this one adds a clear storyline, a former champion on one side and a fighter who believes he has reached a new level on the other. Elmore said a win over Slaveski would put him where he wants to be heading into 2027 and help cement his legacy in BKFC. That is the kind of language that shows how much is packed into this fight. It is not just about one night in Florida. It is about what the night can lead to afterward. For Elmore, the opportunity is tied to momentum, credibility and his place in the promotion’s future. The matchup gives BKFC 97 a clear center of gravity before the card even starts. Elmore wants a performance that looks as sharp as the work he says he has put in, and the event gives him the stage to prove that the training, the recovery and the rebuild have all pointed him to this moment.
