The Featherweight Champion of the world has his next defense set.
At just 23 years old, Kai “Hefty Bag” Stewart (5-0, 2 KO), is not only BKFC’s youngest champion but is also one of the best. Unlike other top stars such as Mike Perry, Luis Palomino, and Lorenzo Hunt, who cut their teeth outside the company, Stewart has spent almost all of his professional fighting career in BKFC, having joined in 2021. He has since proven himself as the promotion's biggest rising star.
On June 21st, headlining BKFC 62 in Hollywood, Florida, USA, Stewart will head to enemy territory and put his featherweight gold on the line against fellow rising star and hometown favourite Bryan “El Gallo” Duran (6-0, 6 KO). It’s expected to be the toughest test of Stewart’s career.
The former college wrestler and amateur MMA fighter only joined bare knuckle because BKFC was coming to his home state of Montana, USA, on October 9th, 2021, and they were looking for a ticket seller. Luckily for them, because of Stewart’s other combat success, he was. So, he said yes but he thought this would be a one off. Especially considering he didn’t even start combat sports training - outside of wrestling - until 2019.
“I’ve never been in a street fight in my entire life.” Stewart said in an interview with Adam Hunt from Bare Knuckle Nation. “Never felt a bare knuckle, never punched anyone with a bare knuckle, never.”
But he won that “one-off” by first-round knockout, with just “two and a half weeks notice” and the “rest is history.” He told his coach after that performance that he could be a world champion. So, he continued with the company and enjoyed immediate success, starting off 3-0.
“The second I got my hands on them, I knew that anyone who trained in regular boxing would be fuc*ed against me.”
This strong start earned him a match against fellow Montana, native Louie Lopez to crown the inaugural BKFC Featherweight Champion. Lopez brought the fight to him trying to land big blows, but Stewart was able to make it a dirtier match, using the clinch to slow things down, working Lopez on the inside to secure a unanimous decision. This is when it really started to get serious for Stewart.
“I used to do everything by myself. But after Louie, I knew we had work to do and I got a team… I feel the difference.”
His first defense would come six months later in December of 2023 against Howard Davis. Davis entered as the favourite. Despite this, Hefty Bag controlled the action, forcing Davis to work inside, and tiring him out, as he again won via UD. His wrestling background has benefited Stewart in all of these matches, as he uses his abilities as a clinch striker to dictate the pace and force his opponents to fight his way. But his training should surprise you.
“I’ve never said this in an interview before… In my whole entire bare knuckle career, I have not worked specifically, one day of clinch work. None. I just knew I would be better in the clinch than any of these guys.”
After a stellar first few years in the company, he’s established himself as one of the best in BKFC, and it still feels like the only way to go is up. With all of BKFC’s other champions coming from other organizations and being well into their 30s and even 40s, Stewart’s youth sets him apart. He hasn’t allowed his early success to make him complacent though, saying that being the youngest champion has "put a chip on his shoulder.”
So, how about his opponent? Duran is fresh off a knockout victory over number one contender, Louie Lopez, in February, the same guy Stewart beat for the title. Duran, who’s only 28 years old, is also undefeated in BKFC since debuting in April 2022 and is a legitimate contender at 145. Having taken down Lopez, it makes sense that El Gallo is next in line for a shot at Stewart’s belt. Duran has even called out Hefty Bag and mocked his style, saying that if they fought they “wouldn’t wrestle”. He added further fuel to the fire predicting a first or second-round knockout should they meet. But the trash-talk hasn’t stopped there, in our interview, Stewart had some good comebacks.
“When I put his lights out, I’ll be the King of Miami since that’s what they’ve been calling him.”
“He’s seen adversity against garbage fighters. He went four rounds with an 0-3. He went four rounds with Louie, rolling off the couch and made it a war. I love that he’s made it big enough so I can fight him in his hometown and put his lights out in front of his fans.”
“He’s fought three crackheads off the streets of Great Falls, Montana. And you want to know something? They’re from my hometown, I can literally say they’re crackheads.”
“He can come at me all he wants but the second I get my hands on him, he’s fuc*ked.”
“They’re crazy if they think they’re going to figure out 17 years of Greco clinching in one fight camp.”
“I saw what he wants to charge his sponsors and I think that’s smart because he knows he has to cash out on this fight after I send him back to the amateur prospect series.”
There’s no denying that BKFC benefits immensely from having Stewart be a world champion at just 23 years old. There’s also no denying his talents. But the biggest thing that can’t be denied is the fact that if Kai Stewart wants to skyrocket his name to the top of headlines and pound for pound lists, he needs to overcome the toughest challenge of his career on June 21st, against Bryan Duran.
“October 9th, 2021 [Stewart’s debut] changed my life forever.”
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