One of the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s most recently signed flyweights, Auckland, New Zealand’s Kai Kara-France knows that it’s an inopportune time to be a 125’er. With the UFC president being non-committal about the future of the division, and its long-reigning champion having recently departed to One Championshipafter his upset loss to Henry Cejudo in August, there’s a prevailing sense of insecurity that’s characterized his short time with the promotion.
Three weeks ago, “Don’t Blink” wowed MMA fans in his debut at UFC Fight 142, where he cut through late replacement Elias Garcia with a unanimous decision (30-25, 30-25, 30-26) and earned a $50k fight of the night bonus in the process; a week later, Garcia received his walking papers.