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Kai Stewart Excited to Defend BKFC Title Against UFC Veteran Jimmie Rivera

Kai Stewart wanted ex-UFC Bantamweight contender Jimmie Rivera the second he signed to the BKFC.

Christopher De Santiago

Stewart (Phil Lambert) / Rivera (BKFC)

BKFC Champ Kai Stewart has been manifesting a fight with Jimmie Rivera from the get-go.

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Once a top-5 contender in the shark tank that is the UFC Bantamweight division, Rivera would test the waters of free agency in the BKFC, signing with the bare-knuckle boxing promotion in 2021 after 11 fights against the elite of the Octagon, one of his many feats being back-to-back fights with former champs Aljamain Sterling and Petr Yan.

Now, Rivera meets "The King of Montana" Stewart in, you guessed it, Montana. The main event will take place from Billings, live on DAZN for the second time in BKFC history after a spectacular debut in Marbella, Spain, a few weeks ago.

Stewart's First Impression Of Rivera As A UFC/BKFC Fighter

The 24-year-old Stewart, who started out as a wrestler, has found a knack for bare-knuckle fighting, winning five straight bouts, including the BKFC featherweight championship in 2023. Rivera will be Stewart's third title defense in less than a year, and Stewart has his eyes on the UFC veteran for a hot minute.

"The second he signed with the BKFC, I saw that he was in my division, and I was like, I want that opportunity," Stewart told MMA Knockout's Chris De Santiago. "Jimmy's a legend. It was after he went to draw with HD [Howard Davis], I was like, okay, he's definitely gonna be a contender...

"Jimmy has a lot more experience than everybody in the top five in the division, I think, almost put together. If we put all of our fight records together, Jimmy is, on paper, amazing. He deserves it, and I want that fight. This is UFC guy [vs.] BKFC, homegrown. This is my moment to become BKFC 2.0."

Over the years, we've seen wave after wave of ex-UFC fighters join the BKFC ranks: Mike Perry, Eddie Alvarez, and Luke Rockhold, just to name a few. Rivera is looking to become a BKFC champion like his former UFC foe John Dodson did in their new flyweight division last year.

UFC 228: Dodson vs. River
Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Stewart On Rivera: "At 135, He Was Kind Of Getting Big Brothered..."

In Rivera's way of a world title stands the taller, bigger and faster Stewart, or so the champion reckons. Witnessing a fraction of the rise and fall of "El Terror" in the UFC, Stewart says Rivera was "big brothered" in the bantamweight division, expecting more or less in their featherweight title fight this Saturday.

"I think it's a really cool opportunity to fight a legend like that," Stewart said of Rivera's fights in the UFC. "But at 135, he was kind of getting big brothered. He was definitely the smallest guy in the division, and arguably that's probably why he lost most of his fights. He's a stud. Had he been at 125, if he could have made that weight, like, how good could he have been? Like, how many world titles would he have won?"

"So now at 145, I just feel like he's gonna be slower than me. He's going to be smaller than me. I'm a big 145er."

Former UFC Bantamweight Jimmie Rivera
Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

Size advantage or not, Stewart knows there's a lot at stake in this larger-than-life title defense against Rivera, especially in front of his home crowd and a ton of eyeballs on his DAZN debut in the headliner.

Implications Of A Win

Should he defend his title for a fourth time, Stewart eyes champ-champ status at lightweight, a potential rematch with Howard Davis, or what he calls a "King of Montana" fight between him and former UFC Champ and fellow Montana native Sean O'Malley, which, realistically, won't be happening anytime soon.

Looking at the future, Kai Stewart what he's in for against the tested Jimmie Rivera, open to going all five rounds or, better yet, a fast 13-second knockout like Conor McGregor vs. Jose Aldo in his own words.

"He's gone to decision with Aljo [Sterling], Urijah Faber, Petr Yan. This guy's a legend," Stewart said of Rivera as a fighter. "This is really fun. It got me out of bed. It really pushed me to be the king of the BKFC. I have big shoes to fill. I think I'm doing the right things. Jimmy brings a lot of experience to the table. But through and through, I believe that in all areas, I'm better."

Will the young homegrown talent from Montana get the job done or will experience get the best of him against a grizzled veteran in Jimmie Rivera?

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Christopher De Santiago
CHRISTOPHER DE SANTIAGO

Christopher De Santiago is a 22 year-old journalist from Gainesville, Texas with years of experience covering MMA.

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