UFC flyweight Kai Kara-France will be back inside the octagon for main event action, nearly a year on since his co-main event fight for interim gold.
Though a back injury meant he couldn’t fight in UFC’s return to Perth in February, ‘Don’t Blink’ is ready to remind the world why “I’m the best flyweight in the world” this Sunday.
With just under 10 months of regrouping and reflection on his loss against Brandon Moreno, Kara-France has been looking at the positives since then for his upcoming bout against No. 7 ranked opponent Amir Albazi.
“What happens at the highest level of sport, that’s just how it is. It’s a game of inches,” he says.
“We’ve worked on stuff that we need to, and I left that in the cage. I don’t take it with me. I’ve been the person to go again. That’s my whole career – I just keep turning up for myself and we keep building progression.
“I know I’ve taken losses before, and I know how to build myself back up.”
Opponent Amir Albazi is undefeated in the UFC with four wins, three of which have been finishes. And 'Don’t Blink' isn’t shy of the rising star.
“These contenders that are on win streaks, momentum, hype, they want to take my spot. I welcome it.
“He’s a great grappler, great wrestler, has momentum but I’m here to take all of that, show him that there’s levels to this and that’s what I’m going to be doing.
“A fight is a fight. He’ll realise that when I land my first right hand. It’s going to be a bad night.”
The One NZ Warriors wrestling coach also hinted at joining the UFC’s Sydney pay-per-view card in September, which is unofficially being headlined by middleweight champion Israel Adesanya but is still focused on the upcoming task of defeating Albazi.
Speaking of ‘The Last Stylebender’, Kara-France is taking Adesanya’s incredible storybook-ending fight against rival Alex Pereira as inspiration heading into the octagon.
“I take a lot away from that because a guy who he’s lost to three times still had the confidence and the self-belief he can still get it done shows me that I’m still right there. I never lose hope of what the goal is and that’s to be a world champion.”
