BKFC-44: KAI STEWART CAPTURES BKFC FEATHERWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP WITH VICTORY OVER LOUIE LOPEZ
Click Here for Fight Night Photos / BKFC
Great Falls, MT (June 9, 2023) Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC), The World’s Fastest Growing Combat Sports Promotion, brought another outstanding sold-out event,
BKFC-44 on Friday night, to the Pacific Steel and Recycling Arena at Montana Expo Park in Great Falls, MT.
Said BKFC President and Founder David Feldman, “This was a great evening of fights in front of another sold-out crowd here in Great Falls, MT. Kai Stewart showed true grit and determination in winning the title over Louie Lopez. Lloyd Mix had a good win over Dallas Davison in a great fight. Bryce Henry, a potential big star, looked terrific in a competitive fight with Billy Wagner.”
“The featherweight division is stacked and there will be no shortage of high-quality challengers for the new champion, Kai Stewart.”
In the highly anticipated cross-town rivalry showdown main event, #1 ranked Kai ‘Hefty Bag’ Stewart, (4-0) won the BKFC Featherweight World Championship over Louie ‘El Loco’ Lopez,
3-2) by unanimous decision. Scores for the outstanding battle were 49-45 and 48-46 twice. Lopez started very strong, landing often. However, Stewart turned the tables in round two, dropping Lopez with a big left hand. The third stanza was fought with excellent two-way action followed by a strong fourth round for Stewart.
The final round saw both fighters with their hometown fans cheering them on, fighting to the end in search of BKFC’s first Featherweight World Title. Said the victorious Stewart after the fight, “I’ve worked very hard to get here. Louie was much tougher than I expected but the beef should be over now. Dat Nguyen, Brandon Allen and Howard Davis can all get a shot.”
In the co-main event fighting in the welterweight division, Lloyd’ Cupcake’ Mix, (2-0), of Missoula, MT defeated Great Falls, MT native Dallas Davison, (2-2), who suffered a bad cut leading to a medical stoppage at the conclusion of round four. All four rounds saw tremendous, evenly paced action with both fighters exhibiting accurate punching and solid defensive tactics.
Florida’s Bryce ‘Baby Yaga’ Henry, (2-0), stayed undefeated with a TKO victory over local fan favorite Billy Wagner (2-1), of Great Falls, MT. Following an even and exciting first two rounds, Henry dropped Wagner with a hard combination in the third stanza and again in the same round from a hard left hand. Prior to the start of the fourth round the ringside physician called a halt to the fight declaring that the battered Wagner could not continue.
In the cruiserweight division, popular Montana native Sawyer ‘Diesel’ Depee (3-2), knocked out Gabriel ‘Hands of Stone’ Mota, (1-1), of Hammond, IN. Mota was dropped from an accumulation of hard shots in the first round. With Mota deemed unable to continue, the fight was stopped at the :46 mark of round 1.
Competing in the welterweight division, Jordan ‘The Haymaker’ Christensen, (2-3), of Las Vegas, NV won a unanimous decision over Kerry ‘The Batterer’ Lattimer, (0-1), of American Falls, ID. With Lattimer hitting the canvas in the first round, scores for Christensen were 50-44 twice and 49-45.
Dorian Long, (1-0), stopped ultra-tough Mark Johnson, (0-2), at the end of round two. Long overcame a knockdown in round one to turn the tables in the second stanza earning the knockout victory at the 1:59 mark of round two with a big left hand to the jaw which sent Johnson to the canvas.
Ryan ‘Skinny’ Ibsen, (1-0), won his BKFC debut when Dakota Highpine, (1-1), was declared unable to continue by the ringside physician at the end of round. Highpine suffered a bad cut during their two-rounds of exciting action.
In the heavyweight division, 6’7” Brady Meister, (1-0), overcame a strong start from Connor McKenna, (0-1), to score three knockdowns, the last resulting in the TKO stoppage at the 1:35 mark of round two.
In the featherweight division, Darrick ‘The Buck’ Gates, (1-2) won his first BKFC fight with a first-round knockout of Koda Greenwood, (0-2). Time was 1:20 of the opening stanza.
Popular local cruiserweight Leo Bercier, (3-1) dropped valiant Willie Sears, (0-3), three times with accurate power shots to earn the KO stoppage at 1:55 of the first round.
In the bantamweight division, Dre Coles, (1-0), won an impressive unanimous decision over David Loureiro, (0-1). Scores were 49-45 on all three scorecards.
Social Media
Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship
Instagram: @BareKnuckleFC
Twitter: @BareKnuckleFC
Facebook: @BareKnuckleFC
YouTube: @BareKnuckleFightingChampionship
TikTok: @BareKnuckleFC
Website: www.BKFC.com
Media Contact/Credentials
Bernie Bahrmasel
Double B Sports
Phone: + 1 773 592-2986
Email: Bernie@BKFC.com
Twitter: @BernieBahrmasel
About Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC)
Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) is the first promotion allowed to hold a legal, sanctioned, and regulated bare knuckle event in the United States since 1889. Based in Philadelphia, and headed by President and former professional boxer David Feldman, BKFC is dedicated to preserving the historical legacy of bare knuckle fighting, while utilizing a specifically created rule set that emphasizes fighter safety. BKFC holds all of its bouts in a revolutionary circular four-rope ring, designed to encourage fast-paced and exciting bouts. The patented BKFC “Squared Circle” contains scratch lines, based on the Broughton Rules which governed bare knuckle fighting in the 19th century, and which requires fighters to “Toe the Line”: start every round face to face, and just inches apart.
In BKFC, only those fighters who are established professionals in boxing, MMA, kickboxing, or Muay Thai are allowed to compete. The referees and judges are required to have extensive professional combat sports experience. All fights are held under the auspices and control of an Athletic Commission. Unlike other fighting organizations and combat sports internationally which claim to be “bare knuckle”, but require wraps, tape, and gauze; BKFC is true to its word as fighters are not allowed to wrap their hands to within one inch of the knuckle. This makes BKFC unquestionably the truest form of bare knuckle fighting. BKFC is dedicated to not just creating the safest, most exciting, and highest-level bare-knuckle fighting organization in the world, it’s also leading the way for a new fully recognized professional combat sport. BKFC is truly the sport of the future, which fully respects its remarkable past.
