Tommy Strydom is ready to make history in Dubai.
Hot on the heels of his TKO victory over John Spencer on Saturday at BKFC Fight Night: Newcastle, the undefeated South African will challenge “King” Kai Stewart for the BKFC World Featherweight Championship on the second night of BKFC’s historic, two-event premiere in Dubai on April 4-5, LIVE worldwide on DAZN.
Stewart is the only World Champion that the stacked BKFC featherweight division has ever known. He’s defending his crown for the fourth time since 2023, when at age 22 he became the youngest titlist in BKFC history.
Stewart is undeniably a face of the franchise with BKFC, and the polarizing pugilist has his sights set on BKFC World Championships outside of the featherweight division.
Strydom, Stewart says, is just a stepping stone. An afterthought on the road to bigger and better things.
The affable Strydom can’t help but chuckle at that thought.
“I’ve got all the respect in the world for Kai, but if he thinks this is going to be another easy win, that’s definitely not the case,” says Strydom, who’s undefeated in his first four trips to the BKFC Squared Circle, with all but one of those victories coming by stoppage.
“I’ve been working my whole life for this opportunity, and I’m ready to do what I have to do to leave Dubai with the belt.”
Being a World Champion has truly been a lifelong pursuit for Strydom, who's trying to become the first South African-born athlete to strike gold in the BKFC Squared Circle.
“In school I remember they’d ask us what we want to do for a living, and I always said that I wanted to be a World Champion boxer,” he says.
“This is a dream come true; I thank Jesus Christ for every opportunity that I get.”
