Kai Stewart lambasts "Sugar" Sean O'Malley, reignites feud with UFC star after BKFC 92 at Fenway Park
"King" Kai Stewart and "Sugar" Sean O'Malley have been at loggerheads for years in one of the most bitter cross-sport rivalries.
Kai Stewart (1-0 MMA; 10-0 bare-knuckle boxing) and Sean O'Malley (20-3, 1 NC MMA; 1-0 professional boxing) have traded barbs in the past and are known to have been at odds for years.
"King" Kai has now seemingly rekindled his rivalry with the 31-year-old MMA fighter.
"King" Kai Stewart jibes at "Sugar" Sean O'Malley over his past UFC defeats; lays down challenge for grudge match
The inaugural and reigning BKFC featherweight (145-pound) kingpin, Kai Stewart, accrued his sixth successful title defense by beating Harry Gigliotti via unanimous decision in the headlining match of BKFC 92 at the iconic Fenway Park in Boston on Saturday, August 29.
During the BKFC 92 post-fight press conference, the Kansas-born Montana-based combatant was asked about whether he'd consider calling out the UFC's former bantamweight (135-pound) champion Sean O'Malley for a cross-sport super-fight. Stewart stated:
"Yeah. Listen, I've called him (Sean O'Malley) out for years. He said that I s**ked. Unfortunately, that skid he went on. I'd love to fight him, but I like to fight winners. I don't really know, who, like -- who could come over? I guess (former BKFC and current UFC fighter) Jeremy Stephens lost, too. F**k. I keep talking sh** about all these guys, but none of them know how to win."
Moreover, Stewart implied that he's confident about his ability to defeat O'Malley irrespective of which combat sports ruleset they clash in, be it MMA or bare-knuckle boxing. He said, "Sean O'Malley, I think that's an interesting fight. Because my whole life I was like, 'I'm gonna beat him in MMA one day.'"
The amateur wrestling savant added, "I'm a way better grappler than he is. I could dogwalk him. But in bare-knuckle, like, on paper, that's an exciting fight. He's a stand-up guy. He's fast. But I'd dogwalk him here, too. Nobody can put up with me in the BKFC. So, Sean O'Malley needs another job? Just send him over. I'll knock him down. Let's go."
Watch Kai Stewart discuss his feud against Sean O'Malley below (*comments at the 20:52-minute mark of the video):
Kai Stewart vs. Sean O'Malley -- BKFC 92 Fenway Park star's unlikely feud with the UFC's "Sugar"
The feud between Kai Stewart and Sean O'Malley, as the former publicly revealed in 2024, could be traced back to 2020.
Apparently, in 2020, Stewart sent O'Malley a DM, wherein he wrote about how his friend and wrestler Myles Mazurkiewicz submitted "Sugar" in their amateur MMA matchup. That fight transpired back in 2013.
Fast-forward to August of 2023, O'Malley knocked out Aljamain Sterling to capture his maiden UFC title, the UFC bantamweight belt. The Montana-born Arizona-based athlete was later asked about himself, Stewart, and other fighters from Montana rising to the top. O'Malley jibed at Stewart, stating, "That kid s**ks."
O'Malley even accused Stewart of "talking sh**" in his social media DMs. On the contrary, Stewart's explanation was that he DM'd him about the Mazurkiewicz defeat because of O'Malley's derisive remarks regarding wrestlers.
Well, during his BKFC 92 post-fight press conference segment, Stewart signaled that he's committed to the BKFC featherweight division, but can succeed even at bantamweight or lightweight. Additionally, he spoke about looking forward to starring in additional marquee fights and iconic cards like the Fenway Park event.
As for O'Malley, he's been working toward recapturing the UFC bantamweight title he once held. Given that Stewart is currently under contract with the BKFC and O'Malley with the UFC, either fighter crossing over to the other organization for their grudge match seems rather unlikely.
Regardless, with the BKFC being co-owned by UFC icon Conor McGregor, some fans have speculated that the combat sports great could perhaps find a way for Stewart and O'Malley to do battle in a professional fight and settle their feud.
