“It is a nice reminder that the UFC trust me to deliver. That’s why they’re putting me in this slot. They know that I come to fight, I come for knockouts and I hunt bonuses. I’m pretty privileged and honoured to be able to step up and be a main event.”
In 10 UFC bouts, Kara-France has received a US$50,000 performance bonus in five of those (3x fight of the night; 2x performance of the night).
His knack for bringing the violence goes back to his first opportunity to earn a UFC contract as part of the UFC’s reality TV show The Ultimate Fighter in 2016. While Kara-France was eliminated in the quarter-finals, he scored a fast knockout in his first fight of the show which, as it happened, was also the first time he met UFC boss Dana White.
“The first time I met him was when he said good luck,” Kara-France recalled. “The next minute, I was having my job interview in front of him and ended up getting a 30 second knockout, so I think he’s liked me ever since then.
“He knows what I can do and every time I’ve been under pressure or in big fights, I’ve always come out firing and come out not trying to just hug people or decision people. I’m trying to lay it on the line and you get rewarded for that.
“So, yeah, I’m pretty lucky, and I think it’s everything I’ve earned. This will be my 11th fight in the UFC and there are many more to come.”
This weekend’s bout will be Kara-France’s first since his third-round TKO loss to Brandon Moreno for the interim title last July. As he looks to set out on the path back towards a title shot, Kara-France knows he meets a game opponent in the cage on Sunday.
Albazi is on a five-fight winning streak, with four of those bouts being in the UFC. With a 16-1 record, Albazi has proven himself as one of the best in the world and has decent striking to back up his threatening submission game.
However, of Albazi’s four UFC wins, none of those opponents are ranked among the division’s top 15 and he faces a steep step up in competition against Kara-France.
But while Albazi comes in confident of taking Kara-France’s spot in the rankings, the Kiwi says he’s looking forward to the opportunity to prove himself again.
“I’m not here to pad my record. When I signed up for the UFC, you are fighting the best guys. That’s what I’m here to do. I’m not shying away from anyone. I could have waited for someone in the top five, but I’m ready to fight now. I’m ready to go and it doesn’t matter who it is, it’s always a battle against yourself anyway. That’s what I focus on.
“Amir was the guy that came up and we get to build our momentum to where we want to be. I’m not looking too far ahead and thinking this is my ticket to a title fight. I’m just going to go out there and show why I deserve it. That’s always been my philosophy - less talking. Just go out and show them.”
Tale of the tape: Kai Kara-France | Amir Albazi
Record: 24-10 (7-3 UFC) | 16-1 (4-0 UFC)
Wins by stoppage: 14 (11 KO; 3 sub) | 14 (5 KO; 9 sub)
Height: 165cm | 165cm
Reach: 175cm | 173cm
