Canaan Kawaihae, a promising Hawaiian prospect, had a quick night at LFA 105. Kawaihae competed at the end of 2018, but did not appear in action in 2019, or the pandemic stricken year of 2020. His first time competing in nearly three years, and ring rust was not a factor in the slightest as the fight ended in the first round.
“In the cage it felt like I never left,” Kawaihae told Cageside Press. “It felt like I was always there, I felt comfortable in the environment. The hardest part was the weight cut, it has been a minute. My camp felt amazing, hard camp back home and finished my camp at Xtreme [Couture],” Kawaihae continued. “All around it worked out perfect, the results tell.”
Kawaihae stated that Sean Shelby was in the audience, and watched his fight next to Kawaihae’s manager. With Contender Series returning this summer, and the UFC in ever need of replacement fighters, Kawaihae is staying ready.
“I’d rather get pulled in right away, or be a last second replacement,” Kawaihae stated about Dana White’s Contender Series. “If Contender’s is the way, then it is. You have to be extraordinary to win a contract, you have to be aggressive and out of your game. At this point I think I can just get pulled into the UFC,” He continued. “Contender’s is cool but we can get in their a faster route.”
In the end Kawaihae is open to many options, from the LFA title to Dana White’s Contender Series or a more immediate route directly to the UFC.
Watch our full video interview with Canaan Kawaihae in the embed above.
