Kai Kara-France believes his next opponent, Steve Erceg, has shown enough to dethrone Alexandre Pantoja in their UFC 301 title fight.
Kara-France is scheduled to make his return against Erceg on August 17 at UFC 305 in Perth, Australia. Erceg made his UFC debut in June 2023 and won three straight bouts less than a year later to earn the right to face Pantoja for the title. The Australian lost a hard-fought unanimous decision to “The Cannibal” in the main event of UFC 301 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in May of this year.
Kara-France has not only been impressed with Erceg’s rapid rise through the ranks, but also believes “Astro Boy” has shown enough to compete against Pantoja.
“I’m excited for Steve. He’s done a really good job during his time in the weight class,” Kara-France told the New Zealand Herald. “He’s only had four fights and he’s already had a title fight, so that’s pretty impressive and I think he’s done enough to win this fight. It just shows how good he is.”
“I’m here to fight the best, so when Steve came up to the table, I said, ‘Sure, I’ll do it.’ I’m not here to pick fights, I’m here to fight anybody, and my fights will speak for themselves.”
Kara-France has not competed since losing a unanimous decision to Amir Albazi in June 2023. Kara-France was scheduled to face Manel Kape at UFC 293 in September 2023, but the New Zealand star was forced to withdraw from the bout after suffering a concussion during sparring. Returning from a hiatus, Kara-France knows he still has what it takes. With a shot at beating Erceg on enemy territory, Kara-France hopes to slowly work his way back into title contention.
“I love this. This is my passion,” he said. “This is what I love to do, and when I take a break and go back to my normal environment and my passion is still burning, I know I still have a lot of years to dedicate.”
“I’m just trying to give myself the best chance and hang on a little longer. We still have goals to achieve and I’m still chasing this title and the best way to do that is to knock Steve out in his hometown. That’s the plan.”
Kara-France, who is currently on a two-fight losing streak, has no plans to immediately challenge for a title fight even if he beats Erceg. For Kara-France, who has been working on his recovery for the past year, the process of simply fighting is more valuable at this point.
“I’m just going to fight and enjoy the process,” he said. “When you get injured, you realize this isn’t forever. That was a big lesson for me: just enjoy it all and don’t take anything for granted. Be grateful to be in this position and keep working hard. That’s my mindset and my mentality, and I think that comes with age and maturity. As a man with a family, a wife and kids to support, over the next five years or however long my career lasts, I want to work hard, put everything into it, work my way up the rankings, beat these challengers and make it my job.”
“I don’t know what will happen if I beat Steve. If UFC gives me a title fight opportunity or wants me to fight another contender, I’m just here to fight.”
