Head clash wasn't going to deter Kai Kamaka in long-awaited UFC return

Head clash wasn't going to deter Kai Kamaka in long-awaited UFC return

LAS VEGAS – Kai Kamaka III met the media Saturday after his win over Dakota Hope at UFC Fight Night 272.

Kamaka (18-7-1 MMA, 2-2-1 UFC) took a split decision from Hope (11-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC) to open the prelims at the Meta APEX in Las Vegas.

Kamaka returned to the UFC after nearly five years away in Bellator, the PFL and Tuff-N-Uff. His return against Hope came on just a few days' notice. He said a bad head clash in the first round affected him the rest of the way – but that he wasn't going to let it stand in the way of what he needed to do once he was finally back in the UFC.

"I was having a hard time getting my rhythm after the first round. We had the clash of heads, and it was solid," Kamaka said at his post-fight news conference. "The next couple shots came to the back of my head, too, on the ground. But I was like, 'You've just got to work through this.' I've been through harder.

"I've been through a lot mentally to get to this point that you're going to have to kill me. You're going to have to put me to sleep. That's probably the only way I want to lose, anyway – just put me to sleep. Make it painless."

Check out Kamaka's post-fight interview in the video above.

This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Head clash wasn't going to deter Kai Kamaka in long-awaited UFC return