“It’s been cool to see just how exciting the flyweight division is. It’s got everything, and something that I possess in my back pocket is I’ve got [12] knockouts. In a division that doesn’t really have knockouts, that’s what I bring to the table,” he told the Herald.
“I’m expecting to do that in this fight. I’m expecting a tough fight and Pantoja to come forward, but I’m going to welcome it. I feel like that’s where I’m going to find openings; when he thinks he’s got me, I’ve got something waiting for him, so it’s exciting.”
The bout will be Kara-France’s 13th with the promotion, through which he has an 8-4 record and six US$50,000 ($84,384) performance bonuses.
The most recent of those came in his first-round knockout win over Australian Steve Erceg in Perth last year.
It was a win that ended a 14-month layoff for Kara-France and reaffirmed his status as a flyweight on the rise. With Erceg going into the bout off a tight decision loss in his own bid to dethrone Pantoja, Kara-France knew he should be next to challenge.
“I just had to be patient. I was asking the UFC what are they doing with me. They kind of just put me on ice so I was just waiting patiently to see what was happening.”
Kara-France believes Amir Albazi and Tatsuro Taira might have been ahead of him in the UFC’s plans for the next title shot. However, they were beaten by Brandon Moreno and Brandon Royval, respectively, and both Brandons had already lost title challenges against Pantoja.
Now, he’s ready to take his opportunity.
“Every time the conversation came up, my name always came to the top because I hadn’t fought Pantoja outside of the Ultimate Fighter. It was only a two-round fight and it’s not on our record. Nine years ago, that fight happened, and a lot has happened in nine years. Now it makes sense, I’m the next guy.
“They brought in this guy from Japan, Kai Asakura, they got the wrong Kai. Now, finally, they got the right Kai, and I’m going to jump at this opportunity. That’s why I’ve just stayed in the gym, stayed getting ready, stayed getting better. I’m 32 years young now, but just maturing, not just a fighter, but in life, just prioritising what’s important and just channelling everything. I feel like this is why it’s my time because it’s just flowing.
“My whānau is thriving, I’m getting better in the gym and the universe presented me with this title shot by just letting things flow and not forcing it.”
UFC 317
T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas. Sunday, June 29 (NZT) from 10.30am.
Early prelims from 10.30am on UFC Fight Pass. Prelims from 12pm on UFC Fight Pass, ESPN, Sky Open and Sky Sport Now.
Main card from 2pm via pay-per-view for $44.95 on Sky Arena, Sky Sport Now and UFC Fight Pass.
UFC 317 fight card
Main card
Charles Oliveira [2] v Ilia Topuria (lightweight championship bout)
Alexandre Pantoja [c] v Kai Kara-France [4] (flyweight championship bout)
Brandon Royval [1] v Joshua Van [11] (flyweight bout)
Beneil Dariush [9] v Renato Moicano [10] (lightweight bout)
Payton Talbott v Felipe Lima (bantamweight bout)
Christopher Reive joined the Herald sports team in 2017, bringing the same versatility to his coverage as he does to his sports viewing habits.
