BKFC Fighter Literally Plays Chess Between Rounds Moments Before 2nd-Round KO

Bryce Henry played chess in between the first two rounds of the BKFC Hammond main event
BKFC

Bryce Henry emphasized the term "high-stakes chess match" in the BKFC Hammond main event.

After winning his first five bare-knuckle bouts by knockout, Henry earned a main event opportunity against Roderick Stewart at BKFC Hammond on Saturday night. The 24-year-old picked up yet another knockout victory to improve to 6-0, but not before creating one more viral moment.

Henry cruised in the first round, landing 17 punches to Stewart's three, according to the BKFC stats. He clearly had little to worry about, so he used the minute in between the first and second rounds to quite literally play a few rounds of chess with his coach on the stool.

Henry teased the move before the fight, telling fans to "wait 'til the next one," assuming Stewart lasted longer than two minutes.

'Baby Yaga' is no stranger to such antics, as he pulled a similar move in his previous bout. After tuning up Derrick Findley in the first round of their fight in February, Henry pretended to corner his coach, who sat on the stool in his fighter's place.

There truly is no calmer fighter in the ring than Henry.

Bryce Henry breaks down Roderick Stewart to improve to 6-0

Henry was already a contender before finishing Stewart, but he has nearly made himself undeniable. Despite being one of the youngest fighters on the BKFC roster, the Florida native has quickly become one of the most dynamic and exciting athletes in the promotion.

Bryce Henry
BKFC

Henry has yet to defeat a ranked opponent, but he has dominated all six of his bare-knuckle bouts with minimal resistance. That trend continued against Stewart, who landed just six punches the entire fight while absorbing three knockdowns.

Henry's jab sent Stewart down in the first round, but it was a body shot that ultimately did him in. Stewart could not beat the count after the third knockdown, giving Henry another knockout win with one second remaining in the second round.

After the fight, Henry called for a title shot, saying he "doesn't give a f***" if it is at 155 or 165 pounds. Henry said before the bout that the promotion told him a win would likely set him up for a welterweight title shot.

The BKFC lightweight title is currently vacant, although former champion Franco Tenaglia returns to face Ben Bonner in the BKFC 83 co-main event on Oct. 25. Julian Lane recently claimed the promotion's welterweight title with a unanimous decision win over Gorjan 'Gogo' Slaveski in August.

Should Henry fight for a title in his next outing, he would have the opportunity to become the second-youngest champion in BKFC history. If you ask him, he expects nothing less.

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Jaren Kawada
JAREN KAWADA

Jaren Kawada is a combat sports writer who specializes in betting, with over five years of experience in boxing and MMA. When he is not covering the sport, Kawada is an avid MMA, Brazilian jiu-jitsu and boxing practitioner. Kawada has previous bylines with ClutchPoints, Sportskeeda MMA, BetSided and FanSided MMA. Born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii, Kawada has a B.A. in Sports Media from Butler University and now resides in Denver, Colorado.

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