Kai Stewart, with his wrestling background, seemed like a likely candidate for a big break in mixed martial arts, but he ended up becoming a boxing champion instead.
While the current BKFC featherweight champion didn't necessarily expect his current profession to be his ultimate goal in combat sports, he's certainly happy with the decision he made. When he was first contacted to fight on a BKFC card, the organization was traveling to his home state of Montana, and Stewart was a local favorite who could help sell tickets.
At the time, Stewart accepted the opportunity with the clear understanding that he would fight once barehanded and then begin his planned mixed martial arts career, but that all changed after making his BKFC debut in 2021.
“My first fight was at BKFC and I was scared because I'd never been in a street fight, I'd never punched with my bare hands,” Stewart told MMA Fighting. “It was scary, so I wanted to use this platform to get my name out there, make my pro debut and then get back into MMA.”
“But the moment I got out of the ring, my attitude completely changed. I knew now I could be champion, I could do this job.”
Following a successful debut, Stewart is now just three fights away from becoming the BKFC featherweight champion. He has now defended the belt once and is scheduled to defend the title again on Friday against Brian Duran at BKFC 62 in Hollywood, Florida.
Stewart has been amazed not only by his own success, but also by how much BKFC has grown over the past few years. Once considered an ultra-niche sport sanctioned in only a handful of states, BKFC has exploded in popularity, selling thousands of tickets to numerous events and producing some of the most talked-about cards in recent memory.
Former UFC welterweight Mike Perry has become one of the biggest names in mixed martial arts since joining BKFC, and the organization has also caught the attention of Irish superstar Conor McGregor, who became a part-owner of the organization in April.
While many MMA organizations struggle to find a foothold against behemoths like UFC, BKFC has quickly become a major player in the combat sports world. Stewart attributes BKFC's success to the uniqueness of its unarmed combat sports versus MMA organizations like PFL and Bellator, whose events look and feel not dissimilar to UFC's.
“Other mixed martial arts organizations are too similar to UFC,” Stewart said, “so they'll never get as big as UFC. That's why BKFC has the potential. We're different. We're different.”
Watching BKFC grow has convinced Stewart he made the right decision in sticking with hand-to-hand combat rather than trying mixed martial arts, and it also helps that he gets to fight for McGregor, someone he's idolized since he was 16; he still has a poster of the former two-division UFC champion hanging in his home.
His next opponent tried to mock his worship of McGregor, but Stewart doesn't see what's wrong with trying to follow in the footsteps of one of the biggest stars in UFC history.
“To be honest, it's business as usual. [right now] “The job's not done yet. Once June 21 is over, I can get excited about impressing the guy I admire,” Stewart said. “I definitely want to impress the richest fighter in combat sports, and June 21 is my chance. Once I impress the guy I admire, it's only going to get better.”
As for long-term goals, Stewart has plenty of time to seek new challenges, opponents and rewards. At 23, he's already the youngest champion in the BKFC roster.
Winning the featherweight title at such a young age has Stewart believing he can create a bigger legacy for himself, but the next step comes on Friday when he defends the belt for the second time.
“On June 21st, I will be the face of the company,” Stewart said. “With all due respect, [Luis] “Palomino lost, Lorenzo Hunt lost, all the big stars, big names in this company lost. Now it's my turn. I'm the youngest champion on the roster. There's nothing that can stop me.”
“I clinch, I box, I apply pressure and I fight dirty. You don't want to fight with me because my goal is to beat my opponent. Winning and losing is fleeting but beating someone stays in your mind forever. I intend to keep beating opponent after opponent.”
And just like McGregor, Stewart will likely collect a lot of money and a bunch of title belts before settling down and saying, “Thanks for the cheese.”
“If you're not doing it for the big money, why put yourself through brain damage?” Stewart said. “It's honestly ridiculous when people say, 'Who cares about belts and money?' You should care, because if you don't you're putting yourself through brain damage for no reason. I love fighting. I love competing. I love the work, but at the end of the day it's all about the money and the belts and I'm in it for all of that.”
“Brian Duran is my [Jose] Aldo. I think he's going to come charging at me, and I'm going to whack him with a left hook and he's going to go to sleep.”
