'Don't Blink' calls for flyweight title shot following brutal first-round KO win over Steve Erceg at UFC 305
18/08/2024 12:08
Living up to his 'Don't Blink' moniker in the most violent of ways, New Zealand's own Kai Kara-France earned one of the biggest wins of his UFC career last night as he knocked out former title challenger Steve Erceg in Australia.
Still only 31 years of age, there's plenty of time for Kai Kara-France to make his mark on the championship history of the UFC flyweight division as 'Don't Blink' now eyes a long-awaited title fight to round out 2024.
Kai Kara-France earns first-round knockout win at UFC 305
Heading into UFC 305 in Perth, Kai Kara-France was a sizable underdog for his co-main event clash against Steve Erceg – yet proved once again that you can never count out the Kiwi's devastating knockout power.
The win over the Australian not only marks the 12th KO/TKO win of Kara-France's career but was also his 11th first-round finish as a professional MMA fighter – an outstanding achievement for any athlete, let alone a flyweight competing at such a high level.
"We knew Steve was going to be crafty and he was going to be smart so we had to set him up for the second phase; I couldn't just let the cannon go and that's when I found the finish," he told Daniel Cormier in the octagon.
"This was the statement that I was talking about, I want my actions to be my loudest voice," the fan-favorite flyweight added; so, what's next for the Kiwi?
'Don't Blink' calls for a flyweight title fight vs Pantoja for December
Following his first-round demolition of the 'Astroboy', Kai Kara-France would head backstage for the post-fight press conference, and it didn't take long for 'Don't Blink' to set his sights on a title shot.
"If you break down this fight, I just beat the guy who everyone thought should've been the champion [and] I've just beaten him in the first round."
Kara-France then took aim at former RIZIN champion Kai Asakura, a new signing for the UFC who many had been expecting to walk straight into a title shot ahead of 'Don't Blink'.
"I've heard the UFC want to bring in this guy from Japan called Kai but I'm the real Kai… This is my home, you can't just come in and think you can bang with the big dogs, you think you're good, but it doesn't work like that.
"You've got to earn it and I've been in this company for a while now, I've fought everyone in this flyweight division and I'm going to let my actions be my loudest voice – and I'm making noise now."
As noted by the Kiwi, Alexandre Pantoja's next title defense has not yet been officially announced, with the Brazilian brawler having previously teased that he'd like to return around December of this year.
Unsurprisingly, Kara-France believes that this is the perfect timeline for him to step in against 'The Cannibal' for that UFC 310 card in December.
"I might have just leapfrogged my way back into a title shot… If they want me to fight for the title I would happily wait till December, I want to fight before the end of the year and if that aligns and they want to make it happen.
"Me and Pantoja have a history; we shared the octagon on The Ultimate Fighter… He's a dog and I love his fight style, but I feel like I can be the one to take him out – he hasn't fought me in the UFC properly yet so if he wants, let's do it in December."
Following his first-round KO win at UFC 305, Kai Kara-France improves his professional record to 25-11 and crucially, puts a halt to his recent two-fight losing streak.
