UFC flyweight Kai Kara-France fell short in his first title fight. Kara-France was dropped by a brutal liver kick from Brandon Moreno in their interim flyweight title clash.
Moreno went on to reclaim the undisputed flyweight title, but Kai Kara-France has no shortage of confidence in his ability to return to title contention. Kara-France told The MMA Hour that he took inspiration from his City Kickboxing teammate Israel Adesanya’s loss, and eventual win, against Alex Pereira.
UFC Flyweight Kai Kara-France Inspired By Teammate Israel Adesanya’s Comeback
“Moreno is a great fighter, a great champion. He did great against [Deiveson Figueiredo]. He made it look easy, and it just showed that we were right there.
So having a teammate like Izzy, who just beat a guy that’s beaten him three times, just reminds me that it’s possible. It’s something that I’ve never lost sight of. That’s the end goal, to be the flyweight world champion.”
Kara-France refuses to let the bitter taste of defeat linger on his tongue. Kara-France will headline UFC Vegas 74 with a tilt at Amir Albazi. The fight will mark Kara-France’s first Octagon outing in almost a year, with the New Zealander remaining inactive since that brutal loss to Brandon Moreno last July.
This absence from the Octagon, however, has not been about Kara-France nursing his wounded ego. Rather, the City Kickboxing stalwart wants to prove to himself, and to the world, that he belongs to the elite of one of the sport’s toughest divisions.
When asked if he carried the loss with him, Kara-France’s answer was simple. “No.
I left it in the cage. I didn’t take it [with me]. I was proud of the camp I put together, I was winning that fight until I wasn’t, and that’s a positive that we can take away from it. It just shows that I’m right there with the best guys.
We’ve learned from that experience, being in my first five-rounder, my first title fight. I’m older now, I’m 30, I’ve got more experience, [I’m] a lot more wiser, and yeah, we just do it again.”
Albazi, Kara-France’s opponent this weekend, will ride a five-fight winning streak, including four straight wins in the UFC, into the fight. A victory for Kara-France would be the opening salvo in another title run for the New Zealander, currently ranked third in the UFC flyweight division.
Kara-France earned that spot with a three-fight winning streak (up until the Moreno fight), including a landmark stoppage over former bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt.
