Kai Kara-France: From Cruiserweight to the UFC, for the Flyweight Title

Kai Kara-France Seeks Glory in the Octagon: A Path of Perseverance and Dreams

A few steps from Auckland’s iconic Eden Park, Kai Kara-France prepares for a crucial moment in his career. This weekend, the UFC flyweight fighter has the opportunity to become champion, an achievement that would place him in the history of New Zealand sport. If Kara-France defeats Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 317 in Las Vegas, he will become the second UFC champion from his country, joining Israel Adesanya. Furthermore, he would be the first fighter of Māori descent to achieve this milestone. The challenge is arduous: to dethrone the current flyweight champion, an opponent he already faced nine years ago. Since then, much has changed, and Kara-France has experienced the ups and downs of mixed martial arts, forging his character and determination.

There are many things happening, you just have to keep getting up.

Kai Kara-France

Kara-France’s journey has taken him from Auckland to Thailand, traversing Asia and Oceania, participating in “The Ultimate Fighter” and reaching the UFC. Along the way, he has faced painful defeats and spectacular victories, including a fight on a cruise ship.

The fighter recounts his experience in the cruise ship fight, which took him from Malaysia to Phuket. “It was the first international fight on a cruise ship,” explains Kara-France. “All my teammates were able to come to the cruise and watch the fight. I was fighting against a Filipino fighter and it was funny because all the cruise ship workers were Filipino.” Despite the peculiarity of the situation, Kara-France was victorious, and then celebrated with his team for two days on the ship. Before his cruise adventure, Kara-France began his career in Auckland, where he demonstrated his power with his characteristic knockouts. Then, he decided to move to Thailand, seeking to consolidate his career. “It was difficult to move abroad, I didn’t know anyone, it was the first time I was alone in a new country,” recalls Kara-France. “But that’s the good thing about the martial arts community, everyone is there to improve and learn.” Your decision to leave home brought him immediate results, earning a scholarship at Tiger Muai Thai. With the unconditional support of his family, Kara-France found his way, stringing together a streak of five victories that caught the attention of the UFC. Kara-France’s participation in TUF ended with a loss to Pantoja. However, this did not stop him, and he continued to work hard to get a chance in the UFC. He entered City Kickboxing, where he found the support and guidance of Eugene Bareman, his coach. “The way we get back to the UFC is simply showing up to training, and the rest will take care of itself,” Kara-France recalls. Bareman highlights the dedication and hard work of Kara-France, who is an example of perseverance.

Outside the octagon, Kara-France is in a process of discovering his Maori heritage. His wife, Chardae, is fluent in the Te Reo Maori language, and he seeks to master it to pass it on to his children. On his Instagram account, you can see his participation in a kapa haka group, a tradition he will channel in his fight with Pantoja. What does Kara-France remember from his first encounter with the Brazilian champion? “I neutralized his ground game. I remember he couldn’t keep me on the ground when I was on my back. And standing, it was pretty even,” Kara-France recalls. “He did a little more to get the nod from the judges. Nine years have passed, so a lot has happened since then. Pantoja has obviously had a lot of success in his career, becoming a world champion. And one of his biggest strengths is that he’s very tough. He’s very resilient. He can just find a way to win.” Saturday’s fight (Sunday afternoon, New Zealand time, AEST) will be the second time Kara-France has competed for the UFC flyweight title. The 32-year-old fighter already lost an interim eliminator to Brandon Moreno in 2022. Kara-France’s UFC record is 8-4, with two of those losses in his three most recent fights. Regarding the preparation for the fight, Kara-France feels he is ready to achieve his goal. “I feel that through all my experiences I am ready to tick this off my bucket list,” he states. “I’ve been writing for 15 years: ‘Become UFC flyweight world champion.’ And I still haven’t achieved it. So that drives me to know that I’ve done all the work in the pre-training for this. I’ve seen it all. I’ve felt it all. Nothing can hurt me because I’ve lived it and I’ve gained that experience. And when I go in there this time, I just have to go for it; without doubting myself, without hesitation. Just go in, be very intentional and go for the finish. So I’m excited, I’m excited because I’m ready for it.”