BKFC champ Stewart: Garbrandt showdown almost happened pre-UFC
Kai Stewart: The Bare-Fist Champion Who Wants a Super Fight
Who is Kai Stewart?
Imagine a sport where two grown-ups punch each other with no gloves—just their bare hands! That sport is called BKFC (which stands for Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship). Kai Stewart is the champion in a size group called featherweight (that’s for fighters who aren’t too heavy, like a big bird!).
Here are some quick facts about Kai:
- He is the six-time defending champion (he has won and kept the title 6 times in a row).
- He is about to fight for his seventh win in a row.
- His next fight is on August 29 at a famous baseball field called Fenway Park in Boston.
- He will fight a man named Harry Gigliotti.
- He says he has already beaten everyone in his group, so he wants bigger and harder challenges.
Important: Kai says he will never say “no” to a fight when his league (BKFC) asks him to fight. He also admits that after clearing out his division (beating all the local rivals), he is looking for bigger and better challenges.
The Almost Fight with Cody Garbrandt
Kai thought he was going to get a super cool crossover fight (that means a fight between stars from different leagues). He was talking about fighting Cody Garbrandt, who used to be a champion in a bigger league called the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship—where fighters wear gloves and can do more types of moves).
At that time, Cody was almost done with his contract (like a work agreement) with the UFC. Kai was sure the fight would happen.
Kai told a website called MMA Fighting:
“I was so close to fighting Cody Garbrandt. It was so close to being done for KnuckleMania [a big BKFC event] that I just feel like I have to get that one. That’s a fight I really need for me, just because I want to show that I can hang with the best of the best.”
What Happened Instead?
Here is the story step-by-step:
- In 2025, Cody Garbrandt announced he signed a new work deal to stay with the UFC.
- His next fight was booked for a Saturday at an event called UFC 329, where he would face another fighter named Adrian Yanez.
- But just before the UFC decided to keep Cody, a bare-knuckle fight between Kai and Cody was being planned.
- Cody told Kai in person why they wouldn’t fight. Kai said: “I actually heard it from his mouth. I was going to keep it a secret. I was just told that it’s not done and they’re not talking about it but we talked to Cody Garbrandt face-to-face. He straight up said ‘yeah, UFC gave me an offer I couldn’t resist.’”
- Kai was super disappointed (and said a naughty word). He said: “I was like f*ck! We were this close! But in due time. 100% god’s plan. I’m put in the situations that I’m put in for a reason and it wasn’t my time yet. We’re inching closer to that time and it starts Aug. 29, home plan, Fenway Park. It doesn’t get much cooler than that.”
Important: Even though he was sad, Kai believes everything happens for a reason (he calls it “god’s plan”) and his time for a big fight will come starting with his Fenway Park bout. Losing the huge opportunity still stings to this day.
Stewart’s Plan for the Future
Kai still hopes to fight Cody one day in BKFC. He even said:
“Hey Cody Garbrandt can still stop being a bitch and take the gloves off and come fight me. I’m saying that opportunity and offer is still out there. Whatever weight class he wants me to do.”
But first, he has to win his next fight. He said:
“[First] I need to beat this guy, who is decorated in his respective ‘B’ list organization, but I’m going to go out there and beat him and then we’re going to re-evaluate how I can maximize my money, maximize my exposure and stay busy. If it takes two weight classes, to keep me busy, I will do that. But I need to stay busy and the fights need to make sense.”
In simple words:
- He must beat Harry Gigliotti (who is a good fighter from a smaller, less famous league—Kai calls it a “B list organization”).
- After that, he will look at how to make more money, be seen by more people, and keep fighting often.
- He might even move up or down in weight (fight in two different size groups) to stay active.
- He is also looking ahead at other opportunities that could come with another big win.
Summary
Kai Stewart is a bare-knuckle boxing champion who has won six times and wants a seventh win on August 29 at Fenway Park. He really wanted to fight former UFC champion Cody Garbrandt, but Cody chose to stay with the UFC because they gave him a great offer he couldn’t resist. Kai was bummed but believes it’s meant to happen later. He still invites Cody to fight him anytime in BKFC, at any weight. First, though, he must beat Harry Gigliotti. After that, Kai wants to keep busy, make money, get more exposure, and maybe fight in two weight classes—as long as the fights make sense.
FAQ
Q1: What is BKFC?
A: BKFC stands for Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship. It’s a sport where fighters punch each other with no gloves on their hands. It’s like boxing but with bare fists.
Q2: Who is Cody Garbrandt?
A: He is a former champion in the UFC, which is a larger fighting league where fighters wear gloves and can use many different moves. He was close to fighting Kai but stayed with UFC.
Q3: Why didn’t the Kai vs. Cody fight happen?
A: Cody was offered a new multi-fight contract by the UFC that he couldn’t say no to, so he stayed there instead of fighting Kai in BKFC. He told Kai face-to-face about the offer.
Q4: What is Kai’s next fight?
A: Kai will fight Harry Gigliotti on August 29 at Fenway Park in Boston for his seventh featherweight title defense.
Q5: What does Kai want after his next fight?
A: He wants to maximize his money and exposure, stay busy by possibly fighting in two weight classes, and still hopes for a big crossover fight like with Cody Garbrandt.
