Kai Kara-France Record: 25-12-0

UFC rise

Kara-France announced himself in the Octagon with a 2018 decision over Elias Garcia, then opened 2019 with wins over Raulian Paiva and Mark De La Rosa. A close decision loss to Brandon Moreno at UFC 245 in December 2019 slowed him, and after a 2020 win over Tyson Nam he was caught in a guillotine by Brandon Royval. He responded with the best stretch of his career: a first-round knockout of Rogério Bontorin in 2021, a highlight first-round stoppage of former bantamweight champ Cody Garbrandt at UFC 269, and a 2022 decision over the previously unbeaten Askar Askarov.

Title pursuit

That run earned Kara-France a marquee rematch with Moreno at UFC 277 in July 2022, but the Mexican stopped him with a body kick and punches in the third. A 2023 split-decision loss to Amir Albazi stalled his momentum, yet he answered with a first-round TKO of Steve Erceg at UFC 305 in 2024 to fight his way back into title contention. That set up a championship bout against now-champion Pantoja at UFC 317 in June 2025 – Kara-France's first UFC title fight – where Pantoja submitted him by rear-naked choke in the third round.

Fighting style

Kara-France is a pressure-forward, knockout-minded striker whose record reflects his finishing intent: 12 of his 25 wins have come by knockout, against just three by submission, with a finish rate around 60 percent. He combines crisp boxing, leg kicks and excellent timing honed at City Kickboxing, and he is dangerous in close quarters where his power travels. The flip side is on the mat – four of his losses have come by submission – and against the division's elite grapplers, control on the ground has been the recurring obstacle in his climb.

Career highlights

• UFC title challenger — earned a flyweight championship shot against Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 317 in 2025, the peak of a long climb from the Asian regional circuit.
• Statement win over Cody Garbrandt — knocked out the former bantamweight champion in the first round at UFC 269, one of the standout finishes of his UFC run.
• City Kickboxing standard-bearer — one of New Zealand's most accomplished UFC flyweights, reeling off signature wins over Rogério Bontorin, Askar Askarov and Steve Erceg.