Spokane bare knuckle champ Kai Stewart to defend featherweight title for fifth time on Friday

Kai Stewart is looking to broaden his dominance in the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship.

The Montana native-turned-Spokane fighter will defend his BKFC featherweight title for the fifth time on Friday against European featherweight champion Nico Gaffie in Hollywood, Florida.

Stewart (8-0) has a history of fighting big-name, exciting fighters such as ex-UFC athlete Jimmie Rivera.

Now, he looks to take on a fellow BKFC champ in Gaffie (4-1).

“Storyline is what makes superstars,” Stewart said. “I’m going to go with the most exciting storyline every time.”

Though he started boxing in 2021, “King Kai” has been on a hot win streak with the BKFC.

“I am so new in striking that I’m still just fundamentally green, so that’s what we grinded on (for this fight camp),” Stewart said.

Stewart’s wrestling background has aided him in securing the clinch to do damage to his opponents – something rare in the promotion.

A common misconception with the BKFC is that it’s not boxing – it’s fighting. The BKFC is the sweet spot between MMA and boxing: fighting in the clinch is allowed, but fighters cannot go to the ground.

“I absolutely think I use the ruleset better than anyone else, because at the end of the day, a lot of people just think that they need to get a knockout,” Stewart said, adding that even the little shots hurt and will damage his opponents.

“I’d rather land a bunch of little shots and keep myself safe than plant my feet trying to go for a knockout, but also give this guy a chance to land something silly,” Stewart said. “There’s a lot of ways to make sure your opponent doesn’t get that lucky punch that can end your night.”

Ending Stewart’s night is what knockout artist Gaffie looks to achieve. However, knowing the ins and outs of the BKFC ruleset provides the Montana native an advantage.

Stewart leans heavily on his clinches whereas the Spaniard prefers to stand and strike with limited lateral movements.

“I think this is a bad fight for (Gaffie), stylistically speaking,” Stewart said. “I think I’m going to dance on him.”

Gaffie stands at 5-foot-4 with a 66-inch reach compared to Stewart’s 5-6 frame and 70-inch reach.

Since Stewart has also been “the little guy,” he isn’t underestimating Gaffie based on his size.

The featherweight will look to print the whole force of who he is when he meets up with Gaffie.

What makes Stewart dangerous isn’t his striking ability – rather, it is how he constantly drives the pace to force his opponents to keep up with him.

“Most guys can’t keep up with it,” Stewart’s strength and conditioning coach, Dr. Dylan Lemery, said.

Stewart is “never worried” about finishing a fight in a flashy way – he wants to break his opponent by dragging him out over a five-round fight.

“I think (Gaffie is) a very breakable opponent here,” Stewart said. “I’m very comfortable going five rounds.”

Stewart’s confident attitude comes from not just one, but three fight camps prior to this fight.

Since he won his past fight last April, Stewart has prepared for three fight camps with fights that fell through.

However, Stewart credits the layoff and the extra camps as vital preparation for his fight against Gaffie.

“This is one of the fights we’re going in with probably the easiest weight cut,” Lemery said.

“I started this sixth world title fight camp, literally in the best shape of my life,” Stewart said. “The numbers say that I am in the best shape of my life, and that happened because I did three fight camps getting ready for fights that didn’t happen instead of being out on my boat.”

For the Montana native, fishing the beautiful, bountiful lakes in the Spokane area helped to center him and bring him back to reality amidst the frustration of being in a layoff.

“It makes my heart feel full knowing I get to live in a bigger city that’s kind of still a smaller town feel,” Stewart said. “I appreciate Spokane for accepting me with open arms, and I really, really hope one day to bring the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship to the Spokane Arena.”

For now, Stewart will content himself with defending his title in Florida, promising an exciting headlining fight.

“We don’t weather a storm,” Stewart said. “We become a storm.”

BKFC 87 Hollywood: Stewart vs. Gaffie takes place at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Fla. on Friday at 5 p.m. The event streams on BKFC+ and Fubo TV.