BKFC champion Kai Stewart reveals Cody Garbrandt bare-knuckle fight collapsed when UFC made offer he couldn't resist

Six-time BKFC featherweight champion Kai Stewart has revealed that a crossover fight with former UFC bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt came within touching distance of being signed before the UFC stepped in with a contract offer Garbrandt could not turn down.

Stewart, who defends his title for a seventh consecutive time against Harry Gigliotti at Fenway Park in Boston on August 29, told MMA Fighting that the bout had been in advanced talks for KnuckleMania before Garbrandt re-signed with the UFC on a new multi-fight deal. Garbrandt’s next appearance under that contract is scheduled against Adrian Yanez at UFC 329.

“I was so close to fighting Cody Garbrandt,” Stewart said. “It was so close to being done for KnuckleMania that I just feel like I have to get that one. That’s a fight I really need for me, just because I want to show that I can hang with the best of the best.”

Stewart says he did not have to wait long to find out why the fight fell apart — Garbrandt told him personally.

“I actually heard it from his mouth,” Stewart said. “We talked to Cody Garbrandt face-to-face. He straight up said, ‘Yeah, UFC gave me an offer I couldn’t resist.’ I was like, f*ck! We were this close!”

Despite the disappointment, Stewart says the door remains open on his end. “Hey, Cody Garbrandt can still stop being a bitch and take the gloves off and come fight me,” he said. “That opportunity and offer is still out there. Whatever weight class he wants.”

For now, Stewart’s focus is on Gigliotti and the wider question of how to keep growing his profile after clearing out the BKFC featherweight division. He hinted that competing across two weight classes could be an option if it means staying active and chasing the right matchups.

“I need to beat this guy, and then we’re going to re-evaluate how I can maximise my money, maximise my exposure and stay busy,” Stewart said. “The fights need to make sense.”

A seventh straight title defence at one of American sport’s most iconic venues gives Stewart the platform he is looking for — and, he believes, brings him one step closer to the high-profile crossover he has been chasing.