DUBAI — All hail the King.
Great Falls native Kai Stewart (8-0) lived up to his “King Kai” moniker and cemented himself as an international spectacle.
The former CMR wrestler defended his Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship featherweight title at BKFC 72 in Dubai with a unanimous decision over South African challenger Tommy Strydom (4-1) on Saturday. All three judges scored the bout 50-43 in favor of the champ.
Stewart, headlining the first-ever BKFC card in the Middle East, dominated from start to finish using his elite cardio and frenetic pace to overwhelm Strydom.
Stewart knocked down Strydom twice in the first round and once in the fourth. Strydom went to the canvas a few more times, but they were ruled slips by referee Dan Miragliotta.
With the win, Stewart moves to 8-0 in the BKFC with a 5-0 record in championship matches. Following the fight, he hinted at a move up in weight classes.
“I cleaned out the 145-pound division, I break everybody,” Stewart said. “I would look good with two belts around my shoulder.”
Stewart’s latest belt was wrapped around his waist by former UFC two-division champion Conor McGregor, a part-owner of the BKFC and a childhood hero of Stewart.
“I was a high school kid and I won a smoker and put my hands behind my back like he did,” Stewart said. “Then I won a tournament at CMR and did the billionaire strut. I always said he was going to know my name and now he’s my boss.”
McGregor called Stewart a “unique puzzle” who is only getting better.
Indeed, Stewart’s unorthodox style has flummoxed everyone in the BKFC with constant stance shifts, feints and clinches. BKFC bills its product as different than boxing and mixed martial arts, and it’s clear that Stewart has mastered the formula.
