Welcome to PFL, Kai Kamaka III.
The 29-year-old from Ewa Beach opened the fight with a unanimous decision over veteran Bubba Jenkins on the main card of the Professional Fighters League regular season event on Friday at Chicago’s Wintrust Arena.
Featherweight Kamaka (13 wins, 5 losses, 1 draw) also won his fourth consecutive match in his group debut. He earned his last three wins as a member of the now-defunct Bellator MMA, which was absorbed into the PFL late last year.
“That was amazing. A win is a win,” Kamaka said in PFL’s post-match interview. “But to beat guys like Bubba Jenkins, it’s important to keep adding them, keep adding other names, keep stepping up.”
All three judges favored Kamaka 29-28 in the three-round fight, earning him three points in the PFL featherweight rankings. He aims to finish in the top four of 12 players in his division to qualify for the playoffs, with the ultimate goal being a $1 million prize.
Kamaka is scheduled to fight again in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, in eight weeks against an opponent to be determined. He is tied for third place.
Friday’s other featherweight bouts were Gabriel Braga vs. Justin Gonzalez (1st round KO) and Brendan Loughnen vs. Pedro Carvalho (1st round TKO). Gonzalez and Carvalho both stopped their opponents in the first round, earning them the maximum point bonus of six points.
“It’s great to see everyone in the same weight class competing one after the other on the same night,” Kamaka said. “And it’s good to see things go well and get your first win.”
Jenkins (21-8), 36, was a 2022 PFL featherweight finalist.
The fight was relatively even until Kamaka made a move in round three.
With less than 30 seconds left in the first round, Kamaka stunned Jenkins with a right hand.
He recovered from two takedowns in round two and landed a combo before the bell.
In the third round, Kamaka wobbled Jenkins with an uppercut.
Kamaka said, “I took a breather,” regarding his future actions. “I’m calling my kids. … When I get back to Las Vegas, we’re going to have a nice dinner. I think I’ll have some drinks tonight. But I have to heal and get back to work.”
Brian McInnis covers the state’s sports scene for Spectrum News Hawaii. He can be reached at brian.mcinnis@charter.com.
