On March 20, 2026, in Hollywood, FL, “King” Kai Stewart achieved a remarkable feat at BKFC 87, successfully defending his Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) World Featherweight Title for an unprecedented sixth time. The highly anticipated main event took place at a sold-out Hard Rock Live.
Stewart, hailing from Great Falls, MT, secured his title by unanimous decision after a challenging bout against Nico “The Iron” Gaffie, the #3 ranked featherweight contender, who entered the fight undefeated. The judges’ scores were 49-46 (twice) and 48-47, all favoring the reigning World Champion.
In his post-fight interview, Stewart emphatically declared, “I am the King of Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship. I’m the best bare knuckle fighter in the world. I will continue to improve, evolve, and proudly represent this thrilling sport as the undeniable King!”
This victory improves Stewart’s professional bare-knuckle record to an immaculate 9-0. Gaffie, the former BKFC European Featherweight Champion from Marbella, Spain, now holds a record of 3-1 within BKFC.
Stewart joins an elite group, alongside Christine “Misfit” Ferea and Luis “Baboon” Palomino, as only the third fighter in BKFC history to defend a World Title six times.
BKFC 87 was broadcast live globally via The BKFC App and marked the promotion’s fifteenth consecutive sold-out event at the renowned Hard Rock Live venue.
In the co-main event, Cuban heavyweight sensation Leonardo “El Zambo” Perdomo extended his undefeated streak, achieving an impressive 11-0 record with his tenth first-round stoppage. He defeated UFC veteran Rashad “Daywalker” Coulter in a dominant performance, requiring only 67 seconds. Coulter’s bare-knuckle record now stands at 2-1.
Following his victory, Perdomo, ranked as the #1 heavyweight contender, issued a direct challenge to BKFC World Heavyweight Champion Andrei “The Pitbull” Arlovski, confronting him in the center of the ring. Perdomo proclaimed, “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 bout, Miami’s Cuban-born fighter Bryan “El Gallo” Duran delivered a stunning 19-second TKO victory over Derek “Rage” Perez. Duran, a former BKFC World Featherweight Title challenger and the #5 ranked contender, improved his record to 8-1-1. Perez, from Belem, NM, now holds a record of 4-5.
Duran reaffirmed his ambition for the BKFC World Featherweight Title in his post-fight interview, stating, “I apologize for letting you guys down [in my first BKFC title fight against Stewart]. But I promise you that when I fight for the belt again, I’m bringing it home to Miami!”
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
Regarding BKFC 87, Feldman commented, “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.”
Discussing Kai Stewart’s future, Feldman stated, “We have to think about what’s next. What do the fans want? I’m always with what the fans want. It’s not always about the rankings. If the fans don’t want it and don’t enjoy it… I’ve got to give the fans what they want.”
On Leonardo Perdomo’s dominant display, Feldman observed, “He came in in great shape and got the first-round knockout. I think this was the most devastating he’s looked. His punches were shorter and he came out and scored a really, really great knockout against a tough veteran.”
Anderson, IN’s Shelby “Boom Boom” Cannon secured a significant career victory by defeating the previously unbeaten Rosalinda “Venom” Rodriguez via split decision. Two judges scored the fight for Cannon (48-46, 49-45), while one favored Rodriguez (49-46). Cannon’s record now stands at 2-1, and Rodriguez, from Fort Lauderdale, FL, drops to 3-1, losing her #4 ranking in the BKFC women’s flyweight division.
In a light-heavyweight bout, Miami’s Leo “Lionheart” Carrera claimed victory over UFC veteran Sabah “Sleek Sheik” Homasi via disqualification in the second round (1:06) due to an illegal spinning back fist. Carrera’s record improves to 3-2, while Homasi, from Coconut Creek, FL, moves to 1-2.
Johannesburg, South Africa’s cruiserweight Jeremy “Pitbull” Smith emerged victorious in a hard-fought split-decision rematch against former BKFC World Middleweight Title challenger Donald Sanchez. Smith now holds a 4-3 record and an unblemished 2-0 record against Sanchez. Sanchez, from Albuquerque, NM, now at 4-3, announced his retirement shortly after the bout.
In his tenth BKFC appearance, Charleston, SC’s Roberto “El Gallo Negro” Armas delivered a significant upset, stopping the previously undefeated AJ “The Biggest” Rodriguez in a bantamweight contest. Rodriguez’s corner ended the fight at the conclusion of the third round. Armas now boasts a 5-5 record, while the Venezuelan-born Miami fighter Rodriguez’s perfect record is broken, moving him to 3-1.
Fort Myers, FL’s undefeated bantamweight Jancarlos “Baby Hulk” Rivera maintained his perfect 3-0 record with another first-round stoppage, this time against Samuel “Ace O’ Spades” Samples. Rivera overcame an early knockdown to secure the TKO with just one second remaining in the opening round, marking his second consecutive first-round finish. Samples, from Madison County, GA, now stands at 3-5.
Clewiston, FL’s Chris “Dynamite” Garcia improved his record to 6-1, securing his second consecutive stoppage victory with a second-round TKO over Chancey “Supaflyy” Wilson. Garcia scored two knockdowns before the fight was halted just 19 seconds into the second round. Wilson, representing Wichita, KS, now has a BKFC record of 3-6.
In a heavyweight clash, Chino Blume of Broward County, FL, with BKFC Women’s World Strawweight Champion Britain Hart in his corner, secured a hard-fought split-decision victory over Alex “The Rhino” Davis. Two judges scored the bout 30-27 for Blume, while one favored Davis with the same score. Blume’s record now stands at 2-2, powered by two consecutive wins. Davis, from Coal Mountain, WV, is now 1-3.
Cuban-born Miami fighter Ernesto “Las Manos Benditas” Suarez advanced to 2-0 in BKFC, delivering a dominant performance against “Slick” Vic Flor. Suarez knocked Flor down three times in the first round of their bantamweight matchup, leading to a stoppage with just four seconds remaining. Both of Suarez’s professional wins have come via first-round finishes. Flor, from Broward County, FL, was making his BKFC debut.
BKFC 87 Official Results Summary:
- Main Event: (C) Kai Stewart def. Nico Gaffie via Unanimous Decision (49-46×2, 48-47) – Successfully 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 (30-27×2, 27-30).
- Ernesto Suarez def. Vic Flor via TKO in Round 1 (1:56).
