Kept out of the UFC octagon for over a year due to injury, it has been an enlightening experience for the No 4-ranked flyweight.
Spending time with his wife and two young children while continuing to put time in on the mats at Auckland’s City Kickboxing gym, the 31-year-old says the past year has allowed him to balance things in his life.
Now, as he prepares to make his return to the arena against Steve Erceg at UFC 305 in Perth, he knows exactly where he stands.
“I love this. This is my passion. This is what I love to do, and when you have a rest and you come back into your normal setting and the fire is still burning, you know you’ve got a lot of years left to give,” Kara-France tells the Herald.
“I’m just giving myself the best chance, giving myself a bit of longevity. We’ve still got goals to hit, chase this title and the best way to do that is to knock Steve out at his hometown, so that’s the plan.”
Kai Kara-France will return to the UFC octagon against Steve Erceg at UFC 305 in Perth. Photo / Dean Purcell
Erceg, currently ranked No 9 in the flyweight division, only made his UFC debut in June last year – the week after Kara-France’s most recent bout.
In that time, he strung together a three-fight winning streak and earned himself a shot at the title in May.
While Erceg came up just short in a unanimous decision loss to champion Alexandre Pantoja, Kara-France credits the Australian for what he had been able to achieve in his short UFC career so far.
“I’m excited for Steve. He’s done a really great job while he’s been in the division. It hasn’t been a long time, four fights and he already had a title fight. It’s pretty impressive and I thought he did enough to win that fight. It just goes to show how good he is,” Kara-France says.
“I’m here to fight the best, that’s why when Steve came across the table, I said of course I’ll take it. I’m not here to pick my fights, I’m here to fight whoever and let my work do the talking.”
Kai Kara-France is ranked No 4 in the UFC's flyweight division. Photo / Nick Winter
Despite being out for a year, which included a six-month period of no contact after he was forced to withdraw from a scheduled bout in Sydney last September due to a concussion, Kara-France has held his position in the division’s top five.
While a win over Erceg could put him in line for a shot at the title himself, Kara-France says that isn’t something has been thinking about as he prepares for his career’s resumption.
“I’m just going to enjoy fighting and enjoy the process. When you get injured, you realise this isn’t forever and that was a big takeaway; just enjoy everything and don’t take anything for granted,” Kara-France says.
“Just be grateful to be in this position and keep working hard. That’s the kind of mindset and mentality that I’ve got, and I think that just comes with age and maturity, being a family man and having a wife and children to support, the next five years - or however long I’ve got in my career - I want to do it to the fullest and put everything into it; climb the rankings, beat these contenders and just let that be my body of work.
“When I get past Steve, who knows? If the UFC give me a title fight or want me to fight another contender, I’m just here to compete.”
Kara-France will join teammate Israel Adesanya, who meets fighting Dricus du Plessis for the middleweight title, in one of seven new bouts confirmed for the event.
New Zealand-born heavyweight Junior Tafa returns to take on Valter Walker, while Australians Tai Tuivasa, Josh Culibao, Casey O’Neill, Jack Jenkins and Tom Nolan have also had bouts confirmed.
UFC 305 will be on sale to the general public from 4pm Friday, July 5 via Ticketek.
Fans wanting to get in early to secure their spot can book travel packages this week via Sportsnet. To stay up to date with all bout and ticketing information, fans can register their interest at ufc.com/Perth.
Christopher Reive joined the Herald sports team in 2017, bringing the same versatility to his coverage as he does to his sports viewing habits.
