Luke RileyW vs. Kai Kamaka III
UFC 329 · July 11, 2026 · T-Mobile Arena · Prelims 7:00 PM ET
The brief
- The result
- Luke Riley by TKO (knees and punches), R1
- What kind of fight
- Prospect test — striker vs. veteran wrestle-boxer
- Finish likelihood
- Medium
- The line
- No line posted yet
- The stakes
- Featherweight · Prelims
The result
Luke Riley def. Kai Kamaka III — TKO (knees and punches), R1 3:03
The pre-fight question was whether Kamaka could drag Riley into a wrestling match and test that 37% takedown defense; he never got the chance.
Riley varied his attacks, rocked Kamaka with a clean right hand midway through the first, and battered him along the fence with knees and punches until referee Kerry Hatley stepped in at 3:03.
The Liverpool prospect moves to 14-0 with the big question on his profile still unasked.
The breakdown below was written before the fight.
The read
Kamaka's durability and 14 career decisions say this goes fifteen minutes.
The fight-within-the-fight is simple: how many takedowns does Kamaka land, and what does Riley do off his back?
Riley's knockout upside is real in every standing exchange, but if the Liverpool prospect gets held down twice, the 0 gets very shaky on the scorecards.
The matchup
The classic prospect test.
Riley has the cleaner, harder striking and the unbeaten record; Kamaka has seen fifteen more pro rounds than Riley's entire career and holds the exact key the stats point to — Riley's 37% takedown defense against Kamaka's 53% takedown accuracy. If Kamaka wrestles, Riley's ground game gets its first real UFC exam.
If Kamaka tries to strike with him, Riley's accuracy and power (57% at 5.56 per minute) should win every exchange.
Tale of the tape
| 13-0 | Record | 18-7-1 |
| 27 | Age | 31 |
| 5'9" | Height | 5'7" |
| 69" | Reach | 69" |
| Orthodox | Stance | Orthodox |
| England | Country | United States |
| Next Generation MMA (Liverpool) | Team | Xtreme Couture (Las Vegas) |
The numbers
Career UFC averages. Red bar = statistical edge.
The fighters
Luke Riley 13-0
Paddy Pimblett's undefeated Liverpool teammate — Muay Thai from childhood (European champion at 13), a Cage Warriors standout, and 13-0 with nine knockouts. Two UFC wins since November, striking at 57% accuracy. The 37% takedown defense number is the flag on an otherwise spotless prospect profile.
Has never lost.
- WMichael Aswell Jr. · Decision (unanimous)UFC Fight Night · March 21, 2026
- WBogdan Grad · KO (punches)UFC Fight Night · November 22, 2025
- WTariel Abbasov · TKO (knees and punches)Cage Warriors 185 · March 15, 2025
Kai Kamaka III 18-7-1
“Da Fighting Hawaiian”
Second-generation Hawaiian fighter who's seen every level — a first UFC stint, Bellator, a PFL playoff run, and back. Fourteen of eighteen wins by decision: high-volume wrestle-boxing, a 53% takedown success rate, and veteran pacing. Re-signed with the UFC in April and won a short-notice split decision.
- WDakota Hope · Decision (split)UFC Fight Night · April 4, 2026
- WMichel Lima · KO/TKOTuff-N-Uff 151 · January 22, 2026
- LDiego Brandao · Decision (split)Tuff-N-Uff 149 · October 25, 2025