The 25-year-old Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki rider captured the 2026 Monster Energy SMX 250 Class World Championship in September 2026, securing his first professional title and ending a seven-year championship drought for his team.CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE FROM OUTKICK OUTDOORSIt was a career-defining moment for Kitchen, who had spent years coming close to winning a championship while battling injuries and setbacks along the way.Levi Kitchen is the 2026 Monster Energy SMX 250 Class World Champion.(Octopi Media / Kawasaki USA)"It was unreal," Kitchen told OutKick OutDoors in an exclusive interview.
"I've had some heartbreaks, obviously been close, but it felt really good.""It was pretty emotional for me just because it had taken a while to win anything of that caliber," he added.But the road to that championship was anything but smooth.In March 2025, Kitchen suffered a violent crash during the Daytona Supercross that left him with a broken collarbone and fractures in his upper back.The injuries sidelined him for the remainder of the Supercross season.And while he eventually healed enough to return to racing, Kitchen said the mental recovery was a different battle entirely."Oh yeah, big time," he said when asked whether it was difficult to regain his confidence after the crash."If I look back at that season, even when I came back on the bike, in 2025, I was maybe a top-five guy outdoors.
And then at least was able to compete for the championship this year."Watch Levi Kitchen's entire interview with OutKick OutDoors here:That progression didn't happen overnight."Slowly but surely, I've made really good progress, and I have all my confidence back," Kitchen said."It just goes to show, I think fans, or just anybody, don't realize how much injuries can really affect everything.""It can be a real pain in the butt to build yourself back up."For fans watching from the sidelines, a rider's return to competition might signal that the recovery process is complete.
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