Kai Kara-France desires his title shot.
A one-time UFC interim title challenger, Kara-France reestablished his standing within the flyweight division in thunderous vogue on Saturday, knocking out Steve Erceg with first-round barrage in UFC 305’s co-main occasion. The win marked Kara-France’s return from a 14-month layoff and despatched a message to the remainder of the 125-pound division after Erceg mounted a mighty problem to Alexandre Pantoja’s UFC flyweight belt simply three months in the past.
“In case you break down this struggle, I simply beat the man that everybody thought ought to’ve been the champion. I simply beat him within the first spherical,” Kara-France mentioned Saturday evening. “It’s taking time away from the game, coming again and making an announcement with my actions. I’ve heard the UFC wish to convey on this man from Japan referred to as Kai [Asakura], however I’m the actual Kai.
“That is my house. You possibly can’t simply are available in and assume you’ll be able to bang with the massive canines since you assume you’re good. It simply doesn’t work like that. You’ve acquired to earn it, and I’ve been on this firm for some time now, I’ve fought everybody on this flyweight division, and I’ve [said] it time and time once more, I’m going to let my actions be my loudest voice and I’m making noise now. So Alexandre Pantoja, I do know he doesn’t have a struggle booked — I’d’ve simply leap-frogged my manner again right into a title shot, in order that’s how I see it occurring.”
The opposite Kai referenced by Kara-France is Kai Asakura, a former RIZIN bantamweight champion who inked a take care of UFC in June. Since his signing, Asakura has been rumored to be the following challenger to Pantoja’s flyweight title, however Kara-France has different concepts.
Although the 31-year-old New Zealander entered UFC 305 on a two-fight shedding streak to Brandon Moreno and Amir Albazi, the Albazi loss was a extremely controversial determination and the Moreno loss got here in Kara-France’s shot on the interim belt. Previous to that, Kara-France racked up a powerful three-fight UFC win streak over Rogerio Bontorin, Cody Garbrandt, and Askar Askarov.
Kara-France is at the moment the best ranked UFC flyweight contender to haven’t already misplaced to Pantoja in knowledgeable bout — Pantoja did beat Kara-France in a two-round exhibition on The Final Fighter 24 in 2016 — so Kara-France feels he’s properly inside his rights to inform the UFC newcomer Asakura to attend his flip in strains.
“If they need me to struggle for the title, I might fortunately wait till December,” Kara-France mentioned.
“Me and Pantoja have a historical past. We’ve shared the octagon, season 24 on The Final Fighter. It was solely a two-round struggle, so we couldn’t actually showcase all our expertise chopping weight week in, week out on that present. However I do know him, he’s accomplished very well within the UFC, and being the champion now, nothing however props. And he’s a canine and I like his struggle model, however I really feel like I may be the one to take him out. He hasn’t fought me within the UFC correctly but, so if he desires, let’s do it. If the UFC wish to make it, let’s do it in December.”
