LAS VEGAS – Kamuela Kirk dreamt of the moment from a young age – and at times, he felt like it might never happen.
But Saturday at UFC Fight Night 189, the dream became a reality. In his promotional debut, Kirk (12-4 MMA, 1-0 UFC) won a unanimous decision over featherweight Makwan Amrikhani – a fight he took on less than a week’s notice.
“It feels like a dream come true,” Kirk said at a post-fight news conference. “It really does. I first started training when I was 4 years old. When I was about 14, I knew I wanted to be in the UFC. I’m 27 now. It’s been a long journey, which makes this moment just that much sweeter.”
While he’s basking in the glory of his victory, it wasn’t completely smooth sailing along the way. After a failed bid on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2019, Kirk lost a split decision in LFA in his return. With back-to-back losses on his record for the first time, Kirk reconsidered what he was doing.
“Last year, I think in July – that was the first time I had ever questioned anything in my career,” Kirk said. “That was the first time I was like, ‘Am I doing the wrong thing with my life? Why can’t I get these decisions to go my way?’ If I wasn’t finishing the fight … I have 12 wins, (and) 11 of those were finishes. I just started thinking, ‘Man, if I’m not finishing the fight, I’m losing these calls. What am I doing wrong? Am I on the right path? Is God trying to tell me something? Am I supposed to be going down a different road?’”
Since then, Kirk won back-to-back fights in LFA, including a TKO win over Daniel Swain in his first promotional headliner. Persistence paid off. An impromptu UFC opportunity arose – and Kirk seized the moment.
“That was less than a year ago, and here I am now, making my UFC debut and getting my first win in the UFC against Amirkhani. It’s been an incredible journey and I’m happy I stuck it out.”
A year after questioning career, Kamuela Kirk calls UFC Fight Night 189 a ‘dream come true’