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Kai Kara-France

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Kai Kara-France
Kara-France in 2021
BornJames Kaiwhare Kara-France[1]
(1993-03-26) 26 March 1993 (age 31)
Auckland, New Zealand
NicknameDon't Blink
Height5 ft 4 in (1.63 m)
Weight125 lb (57 kg; 8.9 st)
DivisionFlyweight
Bantamweight
Reach69 in (175 cm)[2]
Fighting out ofAuckland, New Zealand
TeamTiger Muay Thai (2012–2016)[3]
City Kickboxing (2016–present)[4]
RankBlue belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu[5]
Years active2010–present
Mixed martial arts record
Total37
Wins25
By knockout12
By submission3
By decision10
Losses11
By knockout3
By submission3
By decision5
No contests1
Other information
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog

James Kaiwhare "Kai" Kara-France[1] (born 26 March 1993) is a New Zealand professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the flyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). As of 5 December 2023, he is #4 in the UFC flyweight rankings.[6]

Background

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Kara-France started practicing Brazilian jiu-jitsu at the age of 10 but stopped after two years.[3] After being bullied for his small stature in high school, Mount Albert Grammar School, he started training mixed martial arts as a whole.[3] Kara-France attended Unitec Institute of Technology for a spell, but dropped out.[3] He is of partial Maori ancestry, with connections to Waikato, Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Ngāti Kahungunu and Tuhoe.[7]

Mixed martial arts career

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Early career

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In November 2010, Kara-France began his professional MMA career in his home city of Auckland, with a first-round TKO win over Ray Kaitiana.[8]

Kara-France decided to drop out of the university after seeing a Facebook post promoting Tiger Muay Thai gym scholarship.[3] He applied to the gym and was awarded the scholarship after try-outs.[3] He moved to Phuket, Thailand, in 2013 where he trained and built his mixed martial arts record by fighting around Asia and The Pacific.[3]

The Ultimate Fighter

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In 2016, Kara-France competed in The Ultimate Fighter: Tournament of Champions - the 24th edition of the UFC-produced reality television series The Ultimate Fighter.[9] He won his first fight with a 30-second KO win over Terrence Mitchell.[10] His second and final fight in this tournament was in the quarterfinals, where he lost by decision to Alexandre Pantoja.[11]

Ultimate Fighting Championship

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Kara-France was signed by the UFC in July 2018[12] and he made his UFC debut on 1 December 2018, at UFC Fight Night: dos Santos vs. Tuivasa against Ashkan Mokhtarian. However, on 21 November 2018, Mokhtarian was pulled from the fight, citing an injury,[13] and he was replaced by Elias Garcia.[14] After both fighters getting knocked down, Kara-France won the fight via unanimous decision.[15] Both fighters were awarded US$50,000 Fight of the Night bonuses.[16]

Two months later, Kara-France faced Raulian Paiva on 10 February 2019, at UFC 234.[17] He won the fight via split decision.[18]

Kara-France faced Mark De La Rosa on 31 August 2019, at UFC Fight Night: Andrade vs. Zhang.[19] He won the fight via unanimous decision.[20]

Kara-France was briefly linked to a bout against Sergio Pettis on 14 December 2019, at UFC 245.[21] However, in early October, Pettis revealed that he was entertaining offers from other promotions after the completion of his previous contract and did not currently have a fight lined up with the promotion.[22] Kara-France instead faced Brandon Moreno.[23] He lost the fight by unanimous decision.[24]

Kara-France faced Tyson Nam on 23 February 2020, at UFC Fight Night 168.[25] He won the fight via unanimous decision.[26]

Kara-France was expected to face Alex Perez on 16 May 2020.[27] However, on 9 April, Dana White, the president of UFC, announced that the event had been postponed to a future date due to COVID-19 pandemic.[28]

Kara-France faced Brandon Royval on 27 September 2020 at UFC 253.[29] After both fighters were knocked down in the first round, Kara-France lost the fight via submission in the second round.[30] This fight earned him the Fight of the Night award.[31]

As the first bout of his new four-fight contract, Kara-France faced Rogério Bontorin on 6 March 2021, at UFC 259.[32][33] He won the fight via knockout in round one.[34] This fight earned him the Performance of the Night award.[35]

Kara-France next faced former UFC Bantamweight Champion Cody Garbrandt on 11 December 2021, at UFC 269.[36] He won the fight via TKO in the first round.[37] The win also earned Kara-France his second consecutive Performance of the Night bonus award.[38]

Kara-France faced Askar Askarov on 26 March 2022, at UFC on ESPN 33.[39] He spoiled Askarov's undefeated record, handing him his first loss via unanimous decision.[40]

Kara-France faced former flyweight champion Brandon Moreno in a rematch on 30 July 2022, with the interim UFC Flyweight Championship on the line, at UFC 277.[41] He lost the fight via TKO in the third round.[42] The bout earned him his fourth Fight of the Night award.[43]

Kara-France was scheduled to face Alex Perez on 12 February 2023, at UFC 284. However, Kara-France was pull from of the fight, citing a knee injury.[44]

Kara-France faced Amir Albazi on 3 June 2023, at UFC on ESPN 46.[45] He lost the fight via a highly controversial split decision. 19 out of 21 media outlets scored the bout in favor of Kara-France.[46]

Kara-France was scheduled to face Manel Kape on 10 September 2023, at UFC 293.[47] However Kara-France pulled out of the fight in late August after suffering a concussion during training, and was replaced by Felipe dos Santos.[48]

Kara-France faced Steve Erceg on 18 August 2024, at UFC 305.[49] He won the fight by technical knockout in the first round.[50] This fight earned him another Performance of the Night award.[51]

Personal life

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Kara-France and his wife Chardae have a son.[52]

Championships and accomplishments

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Mixed martial arts

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Mixed martial arts record

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Professional record breakdown
37 matches 25 wins 11 losses
By knockout 12 3
By submission 3 3
By decision 10 5
No contests 1
Res. Record Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Location Notes
Win 25–11 (1) Steve Erceg TKO (punches) UFC 305 18 August 2024 1 4:04 Perth, Australia Performance of the Night.
Loss 24–11 (1) Amir Albazi Decision (split) UFC on ESPN: Kara-France vs. Albazi 3 June 2023 5 5:00 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Loss 24–10 (1) Brandon Moreno TKO (body kick and punches) UFC 277 30 July 2022 3 4:34 Dallas, Texas, United States For the interim UFC Flyweight Championship. Fight of the Night.
Win 24–9 (1) Askar Askarov Decision (unanimous) UFC on ESPN: Blaydes vs. Daukaus 26 March 2022 3 5:00 Columbus, Ohio, United States
Win 23–9 (1) Cody Garbrandt TKO (punches) UFC 269 11 December 2021 1 3:21 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Performance of the Night.
Win 22–9 (1) Rogério Bontorin KO (punches) UFC 259 6 March 2021 1 4:55 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Performance of the Night.
Loss 21–9 (1) Brandon Royval Submission (guillotine choke) UFC 253 27 September 2020 2 0:48 Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Fight of the Night.
Win 21–8 (1) Tyson Nam Decision (unanimous) UFC Fight Night: Felder vs. Hooker 23 February 2020 3 5:00 Auckland, New Zealand
Loss 20–8 (1) Brandon Moreno Decision (unanimous) UFC 245 14 December 2019 3 5:00 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win 20–7 (1) Mark De La Rosa Decision (unanimous) UFC Fight Night: Andrade vs. Zhang 31 August 2019 3 5:00 Shenzhen, China
Win 19–7 (1) Raulian Paiva Decision (split) UFC 234 10 February 2019 3 5:00 Melbourne, Australia
Win 18–7 (1) Elias Garcia Decision (unanimous) UFC Fight Night: dos Santos vs. Tuivasa 2 December 2018 3 5:00 Adelaide, Australia Return to Flyweight. Fight of the Night.
Win 17–7 (1) Shi Xiaoyu Submission (rear-naked choke) Glory of Heroes: New Zealand vs. China 4 March 2018 1 N/A Auckland, New Zealand
Win 16–7 (1) Huoyixibai Chuhayifu Decision (unanimous) WLF W.A.R.S. 19 11 November 2017 3 5:00 Zhengzhou, China
Win 15–7 (1) Aori Qileng Decision (unanimous) WLF W.A.R.S. 14 20 May 2017 3 5:00 Zhengzhou, China Catchweight (129 lb) bout.
Win 14–7 (1) Wu Ze TKO (punches) WLF W.A.R.S. 13 22 April 2017 1 2:01 Zhengzhou, China
Win 13–7 (1) Rodolfo Marques KO (punch) Hex Fight Series 8 31 March 2017 3 2:59 Melbourne, Australia Return to Bantamweight.
Loss 12–7 (1) Tatsumitsu Wada Decision (unanimous) Rizin World Grand Prix 2016: 2nd Round 29 December 2016 3 5:00 Saitama, Japan
Win 12–6 (1) Crisanto Pitpitunge TKO (cartwheel kick and punches) Pacific Xtreme Combat 52 18 March 2016 3 N/A Mangilao, Guam
Win 11–6 (1) Josh Duenas TKO (punches) Pacific Xtreme Combat 50 4 December 2015 1 0:22 Mangilao, Guam
Win 10–6 (1) Shantaram Maharaj TKO (punches) Bragging Rights 7: Resurrection 27 September 2015 1 1:33 Perth, Australia Won the KOZ Flyweight Championship.
Win 9–6 (1) Dindo Camansa KO (punches) Malaysian Invasion: Mixed Martial A'rr 1 June 2015 1 0:12 Andaman Sea, Thailand Flyweight debut.
Win 8–6 (1) Jang Ik-hwan TKO (punches) PRO Fighting 10 9 May 2015 1 0:08 Taipei, Taiwan
Loss 7–6 (1) Ayideng Jumayi Decision (unanimous) Kunlun Fight 18 18 January 2015 3 5:00 Nanjing, China
Loss 7–5 (1) Mark Striegl Submission (rear-naked choke) Malaysian Invasion 2: Grand Finals 25 October 2014 1 2:10 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Loss 7–4 (1) Gustavo Falciroli Submission (brabo choke) Australian FC 9 17 May 2014 1 4:55 Melbourne, Australia For the AFC Bantamweight Championship.
Win 7–3 (1) Wu Tieyin Decision (unanimous) Kunlun Fight 1 25 January 2014 3 5:00 Pattaya, Thailand
NC 6–3 (1) Gustavo Falciroli No Contest Australian FC 7 14 December 2013 2 3:20 Melbourne, Australia Kara-France fell through the ropes of the ring and was unable to continue[54]
Win 6–3 Wu Tieyin Submission (guillotine choke) World Team USA: Fight for Peace 23 October 2013 1 1:54 Manila, Philippines
Win 5–3 Yudi Cahyadi Decision (unanimous) Bandung Fighting Club 29 September 2013 3 5:00 Bandung, Indonesia
Win 4–3 Kim Ho-joon KO (head kick) PRO Fighting 8 4 August 2013 1 3:44 Taipei, Taiwan
Loss 3–3 Danaa Batgerel Decision (unanimous) Legend FC 11 27 April 2013 3 5:00 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Win 3–2 Caleb Lally Decision (unanimous) Rage in the Cage: MMA Fighting Championship 13 October 2012 3 5:00 Tauranga, New Zealand
Win 2–2 Sam Chan Submission (guillotine choke) Legend FC 10 24 August 2012 1 3:21 Hong Kong, SAR, China
Loss 1–2 Agustin Delarmino KO (punches) Legend FC 8 30 March 2012 3 0:29 Hong Kong, SAR, China
Loss 1–1 Chad George KO (punch) The Cage 2: USA vs. New Zealand 2 December 2011 1 2:04 Whakatāne, New Zealand
Win 1–0 Ray Kaitiana TKO (punches) Supremacy Cage Fighting 7 27 November 2010 1 N/A Auckland, New Zealand Bantamweight debut.

[55]

Mixed martial arts exhibition record

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Res. Record Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Location Notes
Loss 1–1 Alexandre Pantoja Decision (unanimous) The Ultimate Fighter: Tournament of Champions 2 November 2016 2 5:00 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States TUF 24 Quarter-final round
Win 1–0 Terrence Mitchell KO (punch) 31 August 2016 1 0:30 TUF 24 Round of 16

*Date given is the air date of the episode. The actual dates of the fight are not released by the UFC

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Kaiwhare Kara-France is ready for battle at UFC 245". Māori Television. Archived from the original on 11 May 2022. Retrieved 10 December 2019.
  2. ^ a b "Stats | UFC". ufcstats.com. Retrieved 7 March 2021.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Jackson Thomas (2 September 2015). "Don't blink: Kiwi fighter Kai Kara-France fighting his way to UFC contract". stuff.co.nz.
  4. ^ James Borrowdale (2 April 2020). "Iron sharpens iron: City Kickboxing and the team behind Israel Adesanya's UFC success". Metro Magazine.
  5. ^ "Kai Kara France | UFC". UFC.com. 14 September 2018. Retrieved 4 October 2020.
  6. ^ "UFC Rankings, Division Rankings, P4P rankings, UFC Champions | UFC.com". www.ufc.com. Retrieved 5 December 2023.
  7. ^ Fighting Is In Kai Kara-France's DNA at ufc.com.
  8. ^ Sherdog.com. "Kai". Sherdog. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
  9. ^ Doyle, Dave (19 July 2016). "TUF 24 flyweight cast revealed". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
  10. ^ "Video: Kai Kara-France earns quickfire TUF KO". www.sportingnews.com. 5 September 2016. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
  11. ^ "Episode No. 8 recap: 'The Ultimate Fighter 24: Tournament of Champions'". MMA Junkie. 3 November 2016. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
  12. ^ "Kai Kara France received a UFC deal in a pretty cool way". MMA Junkie. 19 July 2018. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
  13. ^ John Morgan (21 November 2018). "Ashkan Mokhtarian out of UFC Adelaide, UFC seeks Anzac opponent for Kai Kara-France". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  14. ^ "Elias Garcia steps in vs. Kai Kara France at UFC Fight Night 142 in Adelaide". MMA Junkie. 24 November 2018. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
  15. ^ "UFC Adelaide: Kai Kara-France dominates Elias Garcia to a unanimous decision victory". FanSided. 1 December 2018. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
  16. ^ a b Staff (2 December 2018). "Two octagon newcomers among UFC Adelaide bonus winners". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2 December 2018.
  17. ^ "Kai Kara-France vs. Raulian Paiva flyweight bout added to UFC 234". MMAJunkie. 9 December 2018. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
  18. ^ "UFC 234: Kai Kara-France earns split decision win over Raulian Paiva". Newshub. 2 October 2019. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
  19. ^ NZME, Christopher Reive Christopher Reive is a sports reporter for (16 July 2019). "MMA: Kai Kara-France set for bout against Mark de la Rosa at UFC Shenzhen". The New Zealand Herald. ISSN 1170-0777. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
  20. ^ Anderson, Jay (31 August 2019). "UFC Shenzhen Results: Kai Kara-France Improves Win Streak to Eight Straight". Cageside Press. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
  21. ^ Marvin France (29 September 2019). "Kiwi Kai Kara-France books fight against Sergio Pettis at UFC 245 in Las Vegas". stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 4 October 2019.
  22. ^ Jesse Holland (3 October 2019). "Free agency puts Sergio Pettis vs Kai Kara-France 'on hold' for UFC 245". MMAMania.com. Retrieved 4 October 2019.
  23. ^ Christopher Rieve (4 October 2019). "Kai Kara-France to fight Brandon Moreno at UFC 245, Sergio Pettis now testing free agency". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 4 October 2019.
  24. ^ Martin, Damon (14 December 2019). "UFC 245 results: Brandon Moreno puts on striking display to outduel Kai Kara-France". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 15 December 2019.
  25. ^ DNA, MMA (25 December 2019). "Snelle terugkeer voor Kai Kara-France tegen Tyson Nam tijdens UFC Auckland". Retrieved 26 December 2019.
  26. ^ Evanoff, Josh (22 February 2020). "UFC Auckland Results: Kai Kara-France Outpoints Tyson Nam". Cageside Press. Retrieved 22 February 2020.
  27. ^ Nolan King and Mike Bohn (6 March 2020). "Alex Perez vs. Kai Kara-France booked for flyweight fight at UFC San Diego". mmajunkie. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
  28. ^ Steven Marrocco (20 April 2020). "UFC officially cancels four events due to coronavirus pandemic". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
  29. ^ Redactie (27 July 2020). "UFC Flyweightclash tussen Kai Kara-France en Brandon Royval op 26 september" (in Dutch). mmadna.nl. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  30. ^ Fuentes, Jon (26 September 2020). "UFC 253 Results: Brandon Royval Makes Kai Kara-France Tap". Cageside Press. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  31. ^ a b Alexander K. Lee (27 September 2020). "UFC 253 bonuses: Israel Adesanya, Jan Blachowicz cash in with championship performances". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  32. ^ DNA, MMA (9 January 2021). "Rogério Bontorin treft Kai Kara-France tijdens UFC 259". MMA DNA. Retrieved 10 January 2021.
  33. ^ Kai Kara France to turn failure into success against Rogerio Bontorin for newborn son. South China Morning Post. 23 February 2021 – via YouTube.
  34. ^ Anderson, Jay (6 March 2021). "UFC 259 Results: Kai Kara-France Pulls Off Wild Comeback Against Rogerio Bontorin". Cageside Press. Retrieved 7 March 2021.
  35. ^ a b c Lee, Alexander K. (7 March 2021). "UFC 259 bonuses: Kennedy Nzechukwu and Carlos Ulberg earn Fight of the Night for back-and-forth scrap". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 7 March 2021.
  36. ^ Mike Heck, Damon Martin (2 August 2021). "Cody Garbrandt to make flyweight debut against Kai Kara-France at Dec. 11 UFC event". MMAFighting.com. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
  37. ^ Anderson, Jay (11 December 2021). "UFC 269: Kai Kara-France Spoils Cody Garbrandt's Flyweight Debut". Cageside Press. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
  38. ^ a b Newswire (12 December 2021). "UFC 269 bonuses: Dana White feeling generous, 8 fighters get $50,000 checks". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 12 December 2021.
  39. ^ Dorff, Marcel (25 December 2021). "Onofficiele "title eliminator" tussen Askar Askarov en Kai Kara-France tijdens UFC Columbus". MMA DNA. Retrieved 25 December 2021.
  40. ^ Anderson, Jay (26 March 2022). "UFC Columbus: Kai Kara-France Upsets Askar Askarov in Thriller". Cageside Press. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
  41. ^ "Report | Brandon Moreno Vs. Kai Kara-France 2 Booked For Interim Title Fight At UFC 277". 10 May 2022. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  42. ^ Anderson, Jay (30 July 2022). "UFC 277: Brandon Moreno Stuns Kai Kara-France With Body Kick, TKO Finish to Claim Interim Gold". Cageside Press. Retrieved 1 August 2022.
  43. ^ a b Matt Erickson (31 July 2022). "UFC 277 bonuses: Brandon Moreno, Kai Kara-France among four $50,000 winners in Dallas". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
  44. ^ "Kai Kara-France announces injury withdrawal from UFC 284 in Perth: 'I'm gutted'". MMA Junkie. 22 December 2022. Retrieved 23 December 2022.
  45. ^ Martin, Damon (13 March 2023). "Kai Kara-France vs. Amir Albazi booked for UFC event on June 3". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
  46. ^ "Amir Albazi vs. Kai Kara-France". MMA Decisions. Retrieved 4 June 2023.
  47. ^ Harkness, Ryan (20 June 2023). "Kai Kara-France lands UFC Australia fight against Manel Kape". MMAmania.com. Retrieved 21 June 2023.
  48. ^ Guilherme Cruz (21 August 2023). "Manel Kape gets new opponent for UFC 293, faces newcomer Felipe dos Santos". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
  49. ^ "Israel Adesanya Officially Announces Next Fight At UFC 305". forbes.com.
  50. ^ Jay Anderson (17 August 2024). "UFC 305: Kai Kara-France Floors Steve Erceg Inside of a Round". cagesidepress.com. Retrieved 18 August 2024.
  51. ^ a b Dan Hiergesell (18 August 2024). "Bonuses! Kai Kara-France's stunning TKO finish leads $50K winners - UFC 305". mmamania.com. Retrieved 18 August 2024.
  52. ^ Kai Kara-France [@kaikarafrance] (14 February 2021). "So proud of my fiancé @chardaeb Welcome to the world our son Cobi!" – via Instagram.
  53. ^ a b c d "UFC Flyweight – Stats". UFC.com. 18 August 2024. Retrieved 18 August 2024.
  54. ^ "AFC7 Gustavo Falciroli Vs Kai Kara-France Full Fight Ko on table". 28 January 2014 – via www.youtube.com.
  55. ^ Sherdog.com. "Kai". Sherdog. Retrieved 7 March 2021.
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