Elvin Brito’s back was against the ropes at BKFC 79.

The fan-favorite Brito was looking to avoid a third straight defeat at the event, and BKFC 79 was the former BKFC World Welterweight Champion’s highly anticipated debut in the stacked lightweight division.

“El Bandito” rose to the occasion at the sold-out event in Sturgis, SD, taking out Brandon Meyer via TKO in the fourth round of their 155-pound battle at the legendary Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.

“I wasn’t able to perform to the best of my abilities in those two losses, but I knew that there was nothing that I could do to go back and change that, so I was just grinding to get back in there,” Brito says.

“I felt very calm heading into that fight because I knew, for the first time in a long time, that I’d be able to perform to the best of my abilities.”

Brito left Sturgis with his seventh victory in the Squared Circle. More importantly, the Maunabo, Puerto Rico product staked his claim as an immediate contender in BKFC’s talent-rich lightweight division.

“A lot of people have short memories, but Sturgis was a reminder that I’m still here, I’m not slowing down, and I’m only getting better,” Brito says.

“I’ll be ready for whoever they put in front of me.”