Surging UFC flyweight Kai Kara-France and freshly re-crowned champion Deiveson Figueiredo seem to be on an inevitable collision course. Not long after Figueiredo called Thompson out, Kai Kara-France has taken to The MMA Hour to promise a knockout win before thousands of home fans.
“Both [Figueiredo and Moreno] fights are great fights for me, but I would love to fight Figueiredo. The way he amps up the fight, just his style, people really think he’s ‘God of War.’
Kai Kara-France Wants to Knock Out Deiveson Figueiredo
But I want to show him that there’s levels to this and there’s a new ‘God of War’ in town, and that’s me. I want to be in his face and put it on him. I want to test him.
I feel like I can put him away, so it would be a great fight. And imagine doing it at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne, 60,000 people, making the walkout, feeding off the energy and putting it on him.”
Kara-France’s decision win over Askar Askarov at UFC Columbus this weekend puts him firmly in the flyweight title conversation. He boasts a 3-fight win streak, with seven wins in his last nine and a knockout win over former champion Cody Garbrandt.
Kai Kara-France, at this point, could choose between recently deposed champ Brandon Moreno and Deiveson Figueiredo. Moreno and Figueiredo are 1-1-1 in their trilogy, which has claimed all of the last three flyweight title fights. It’s time, says Kara-France, for new blood.
“Both champions want to fight me. They’re both saying, ‘I don’t want to fight for the fourth time, I want to fight this guy.’
So, the ball’s in my court. That was my second to last fight on my contract, so we’re in a great place. Now, we’re going to talk with Eugene and Mick and Dana and see what the next plan is.” Kara-France also has beef with Figueiredo’s coach, Henry “Triple C” Cejudo.
“[Albarracin] was my coach on Season 24, so I know [he and Cejudo], and they obviously felt disrespected by Izzy when Izzy knocked out Costa, and there was a bit of back-and-forth and a bit of beef there.
So they keep saying, ‘We accept this fight [with] Kai against Figgy, we want Izzy to be in the corner, to, I guess, try and make a statement.’ But if [Adesanya is] fighting the same night as the main event, that won’t be happening.
I’d love to knock Figgy out right in front of Cejudo and let him know that that shy, young boy that you coached on The Ultimate Fighter ain’t the same anymore. I’m grown up, I’m matured, and I’m a seasoned veteran. So it’s a whole different ballpark.” Can Kai Kara-France knock Deiveson Figueiredo out? Let us know if you think so in the comments.
