Hollywood, FL (March 20, 2026) — In a thrilling night of bare-knuckle action at the sold-out Hard Rock Live, “King” Kai Stewart successfully defended his Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) World Featherweight Title for an unprecedented sixth time, matching a promotional record. Stewart’s triumph was the main event of BKFC 87.
The fighter from Great Falls, MT, secured his crown with a hard-fought unanimous decision victory over the previously undefeated Nico “The Iron” Gaffie, who was ranked #3 in the BKFC featherweight division. Two judges scored the bout 49-46, while the third saw it 48-47, all in favor of the reigning World Champion.
Post-fight, Stewart emphatically declared, “I am the King of Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship. I’m the best bare knuckle fighter in the world. I’m going to continue to get better, I’m going to continue to grow, and I’m going to continue repping the most exciting sport in the world as the King!”
Stewart now boasts an impressive 9-0 record in the Squared Circle. His opponent, Gaffie, the inaugural BKFC European Featherweight Champion from Marbella, Spain, now holds a 3-1 record under the BKFC banner. This historic sixth title defense places Stewart in an elite group alongside Christine “Misfit” Ferea and Luis “Baboon” Palomino.
The co-main event witnessed undefeated Cuban heavyweight sensation Leonardo “El Zambo” Perdomo extend his destructive path, improving his record to 11-0 with his tenth first-round finish. He dispatched UFC veteran Rashad “Daywalker” Coulter in just 67 seconds. Coulter entered the night with a bare-knuckle record of 2-1.
Following his dominant win, Perdomo, the #1 ranked contender in the BKFC heavyweight division, wasted no time challenging BKFC World Heavyweight Champion Andrei “The Pitbull” Arlovski. The two undefeated heavyweights had a face-off in the ring, where Perdomo boldly stated, “Arlovski, where are you? Come at me, boy! Don’t be scared. Come on, papi. (The belt) is mine. It’s mine, and everybody knows it!”
In a featured fight, Cuban-born Miami fighter Bryan “El Gallo” Duran delivered a swift knockout, needing only 19 seconds to defeat Derek “Rage” Perez. Duran, a former BKFC World Featherweight Title challenger and currently the #5 ranked contender, now stands at 8-1-1. Perez, from Belem, NM, falls to 4-5. Duran reaffirmed his championship aspirations, promising to bring the featherweight belt back to Miami in his next title shot.
Highlights from BKFC Founder/President David Feldman’s Post-Event Press Conference:
- Fight of the Night: Kai Stewart vs. Nico Gaffie
- Knockout of the Night: Bryan Duran
- Performance of the Night: Jancarlos Rivera
Feldman praised the event, stating, “We asked the guys to come fight, and they came to fight tonight. This was the liveliest crowd we’ve had in a long time. The energy out there was amazing. It was a great night; I’m very, very happy with the event.” He also hinted at considering fan preferences for Kai Stewart’s next opponent and lauded Perdomo’s performance as “the most devastating he’s looked.”
Additional significant results from BKFC 87 include:
- Anderson, IN strawweight Shelby “Boom Boom” Cannon (2-1) secured the biggest win of her career by defeating the previously unbeaten Rosalinda “Venom” Rodriguez (3-1, #4 ranked women’s flyweight) via split decision.
- Miami’s Leo “Lionheart” Carrera (3-2) won his light-heavyweight bout against UFC veteran Sabah “Sleek Sheik” Homasi (1-2) via disqualification in the second round, due to an illegal spinning back fist by Homasi.
- Johannesburg, South African cruiserweight Jeremy “Pitbull” Smith (4-3) earned a hard-fought split-decision victory over former BKFC World Middleweight Title challenger Donald Sanchez (4-3) in their rematch. Sanchez announced his retirement shortly after the fight.
- Charleston, SC’s Roberto “El Gallo Negro” Armas (5-5) stopped the undefeated AJ “The Biggest” Rodriguez (3-1) in bantamweight action, with Rodriguez’s corner calling an end to the bout after the third round.
- Unbeaten Fort Myers, FL bantamweight Jancarlos “Baby Hulk” Rivera (3-0) maintained his perfect record with a first-round stoppage of Samuel “Ace O’ Spades” Samples (3-5). Rivera rallied from a knockdown to secure the win with just one second left in the opening round, marking his second consecutive first-round finish.
- Clewiston, FL product Chris “Dynamite” Garcia (6-1) cruised to a second-round stoppage victory over Chancey “Supaflyy” Wilson (3-6), recording two knockdowns before the contest was halted 19 seconds into the round.
- Broward County, FL’s Chino Blume (2-2), with Women’s World Strawweight Champion Britain Hart in his corner, edged out Alex “The Rhino” Davis (1-3) for a split-decision victory in heavyweight action.
- Cuban-born Miami product Ernesto “Las Manos Benditas” Suarez (2-0) secured his second first-round finish under the BKFC banner, stopping “Slick” Vic Flor (BKFC debut) after knocking him down three times in the opening round.
BKFC 87 Official Results Summary:
- (C) Kai Stewart def. Nico Gaffie via Unanimous Decision (49-46×2, 48-47) – Defended BKFC World Featherweight Title
- Leonardo Perdomo def. Rashad Coulter via TKO in Round 1 (1:07)
- Bryan Duran def. Derek Perez via TKO in Round 1 (0:19)
- Shelby Cannon def. Rosalinda Venom Rodriguez via Split Decision (48-46, 46-49, 49-45)
- Leo Carrera def. Sabah Homasi via Disqualification in Round 2 (1:06)
- Jeremy Smith def. Donald Sanchez via Split Decision (48-47×2, 47-48)
- Roberto Armas def. AJ Rodriguez via TKO in Round 3 (2:00)
- Jancarlos Rivera def. Samuel Samples via TKO in Round 1 (1:59)
- Chris Garcia def. Chancey Wilson via TKO in Round 2 (0:19)
- Chino Blume def. Alex Davis via Split Decision (30x27x2, 27-30)
- Ernesto Suarez def. Vic Flor via TKO in Round 1 (1:56)