Now, he returns to a divison with no clear title challenger; Erceg, ranked No 7 in the division, the most recent man to challenge for the belt.
For Kara-France, that creates opportunity.
“There’s been fights that haven’t really lived up to the hype or the expectations so this flyweight division, it’s all about who can go in there and make a statement,” Kara-France said.
“Who can be exciting and let the UFC see and let the world know you’re the next guy. That’s all I’m planning on doing, I’m putting all my energy into Steve. He’s in front of me, whatever happens after this, I know there will be a clear passage to that title.”
Kara-France’s return to the cage has been a long time coming after he was forced to withdraw from a scheduled bout against Manel Kape in Sydney last September due to concussion.
That led to him needing to take six months off contact to let his body heal properly. It was time away from the sport that gave him clarity moving forward, but the recovery process was a long road.
“With a brain injury, we only have one so you want to make sure you’re doing everything you can and that means not pushing too much,” he said.
“Every week, just doing enough which was, at the start, just going for walks. That’s what I was prescribed by the neurologist. Then from there we could do a little bit more, add a bit more stress and tension to my routine, doing all these balance tests and eye tests with the neurologist, it felt like an exam.
“I had a three-hour exam that I had to go through ... at the start my test wasn’t actually that good. I was getting, like, 50% for my age and education. Four or five months later I did that same test and was testing a 98% for my age and education.
“It just goes to show I was always going to heal, I just had to give it time. That’s what you want around you, that kind of confidence and that kind of pathway back to sport.”
Speaking to the Herald in April, Kara-France noted the Warriors had helped him in his recovery from concussion as he was able to tap into the club’s resources around that aspect of the game through the role as the club’s wrestling coach.
Now fit and refreshed, Kara-France heads to Perth looking to make a statement.
“Coming into this fight, it’s not just the fights that take a bit of wear and tear, it’s the build-up, it’s the pressure, and I haven’t had that for a year,” he said.
“I think that’s what’s going to be different. I’m coming in fresh. I’m coming in without that burnout, that fight week where you’re in the setting again and physically you might be feeling good but you’ve still got that fatigue that’s there mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually.”
UFC 305
RAC Arena, Perth. Sunday, August 18.
Main card (from 2pm on Sky Arena and Sky Sport Now)
Main event: Dricus du Plessis (c) v Israel Adesanya (2) for the UFC middleweight title
Flyweight: Kai Kara-France (4) v Steve Erceg (7)
Lightweight: Mateusz Gamrot (5) v Dan Hooker (11)
Heavyweight: Tai Tuivasa (10) v Jairzinho Rozenstruik (12)
Welterweight: Li Jingliang v Carlos Prates
Prelims (from noon on ESPN, Sky Open, Sky Sport Now UFC Fight Pass)
Heavyweight: Junior Tafa v Valter Walker
Featherweight: Josh Culibao v Ricardo Ramos
Flyweight: Casey O’Neill (15) v Luana Santos
Featherweight: Jack Jenkins v Herbert Burns
Early Prelims (from 10.30am on UFC Fight Pass)
Lightweight: Tom Nolan v Alex Reyes
Welterweight: Song Kenan v Ricky Glenn
Flyweight: Stewart Nicoll v Jesus Aguilar
Christopher Reive joined the Herald sports team in 2017, bringing the same versatility to his coverage as he does to his sports viewing habits.
