The last time Kai Kara-France stepped into the Octagon, he lost a split decision to Amir Albazi.
A match in June 2023 could have favoured Kalla versus France, but the 31-year-old New Zealander isn’t dwelling on the defeat.
“The difference is that I [let] “The weight of that decision defines me. People are going to see a loss next to my name. I think you just have to take the good and the bad from your performance and see how you can get better,” Kara-France said in an interview with UFC.com. “That’s martial arts. You can’t get attached to it. You just have to let it go, adapt and keep moving forward. I know I’ll meet Amir in the future, but I have a fight coming up and I’m going to put my all into it.”
Kara-France’s current focus is on a bout against Steve Erceg in the co-main event of UFC 305 on Saturday at RAC Arena in Perth, Australia. The Australian is coming off a loss to current flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja in May of this year.
UFC 305: du Plessis vs. Adesanya, Saturday at 10pm ET on ESPN+. Order now! “It’s a big fight for the flyweight division, a pay-per-view main event,” said Kara-France. “It’s a big fight for the region. Having two flyweights from New Zealand and Australia fighting shows how this region has grown in UFC. We’ve both fought for titles, so there’s no doubt this fight will be fireworks. When there’s that kind of pressure and expectation, you just have to go for it, and that’s what I’m going to do.”
The New Zealand-Australia rivalry will colour the fight, but according to Don’t Blink there is no animosity between the two flyweight contenders.
“This is all business, nothing personal,” Kara-France said. “His career has been on the rise so quickly, it just shows you he’s at a high level. He’s one of the best players in our division.”
Kara-France was scheduled to return to action against Manel Kape at UFC 293 last September but pulled out of the bout due to a concussion, and he believes the time off since his controversial loss to Albazi will be beneficial in the long run.
“While the rest of the fighters in the division are beating each other up, I’m coming in fresh, hungry and ready to remind everyone that I’m one of the best flyweights in the world,” he said.
