Stewart Meets Duran Again as BKFC Books a Cruise Ship Card

Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship has put a title rematch at the top of the first fight card ever staged on a live cruise ship. Featherweight champion Kai Stewart will face No. 2-ranked contender Bryan Duran at the BKFSea Bruise Cruise, the promotion announced on Tuesday.

The card is scheduled for Jan. 23, 2027, aboard the Norwegian Jewel. The event is a three-day voyage, and it has been in the works for nearly a year. It starts with seven fights, and the list is expected to change over the coming months.

A rematch from 2024

Stewart is 10-0 and ranked No. 2 pound for pound in the promotion. He last fought in August, when he won a unanimous decision over Harry Gigliotti at Fenway Park for his fifth successful title defense.

Duran is 9-1-1 and fought a month later, beating Felony Charles Bennett on the scorecards. His only loss came against Stewart on June 21, 2024, in the champion's second defense. Stewart outlanded him 127-91 and scored a knockdown in the fourth round. Duran is 3-0-1 since.

Who else is on the ship

British welterweight George Thorpe takes on Australian Josh Kuhne in the co-main event. Thorpe is coming off an upset of the previously undefeated Leigh Cohoon. Kuhne debuted in bare-knuckle in April and is 2-0, with both of his knockouts coming in under a minute.

Featherweight Nathan Rivera, once seen as the biggest threat to Stewart's reign, faces Brandon Meneses. Rivera lost to Tray Martin at BKFC Nashville in one of the biggest statistical upsets in the sport's history. Cole Ferrell, a lightweight named in an earlier list of six fighters, is not on the card for now.

Source: Sports Illustrated