Taxus Baccata

by | Mar 15, 2018 | Taxus Baccata

How Can We Help?
You are here:
< Back

James Kaiwhare Kara-France[1] (born 26 March 1993) is a New Zealand professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Flyweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). As of 5 December 2023, he is #4 in the UFC flyweight rankings.[6]

Background

Kara-France started practicing Brazilian jiu-jitsu at the age of 10 but stopped after two years.[3] After being bullied for his small stature in high school, Mount Albert Grammar School, he started training mixed martial arts as a whole.[3] Kara-France attended Unitec Institute of Technology for a spell, but dropped out.[3] He is partly of Maori ancestry, with connections to Waikato, Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Ngāti Kahungunu and Tuhoe.[7]

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

In November 2010, Kara-France began his professional MMA career in his home city of Auckland, with a first-round TKO win over Ray Kaitiana.[8]

Kara-France decided to drop out of the university after seeing a Facebook post promoting Tiger Muay Thai gym scholarship.[3] He applied to the gym and was awarded the scholarship after try-outs.[3] He moved to Phuket, Thailand, in 2013 where he trained and built his mixed martial arts record by fighting around Asia and The Pacific.[3]

The Ultimate Fighter

In 2016, Kara-France competed in The Ultimate Fighter: Tournament of Champions - the 24th edition of the UFC-produced reality television series The Ultimate Fighter.[9] He won his first fight with a 30-second KO win over Terrence Mitchell.[10] His second and final fight in this tournament was in the quarterfinals, where he lost by decision to Alexandre Pantoja.[11]

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Kara-France was signed by the UFC in July 2018[12] and he made his UFC debut on 1 December 2018, at UFC Fight Night: dos Santos vs. Tuivasa against Ashkan Mokhtarian. However, on 21 November 2018, Mokhtarian was pulled from the fight, citing an injury,[13] and he was replaced by Elias Garcia.[14] After both fighters getting knocked down, Kara-France won the fight via unanimous decision.[15] Both fighters were awarded US$50,000 Fight of the Night bonuses.[16]

Two months later, Kara-France faced Raulian Paiva on 10 February 2019, at UFC 234.[17] He won the fight via split decision.[18]

Kara-France faced Mark De La Rosa on 31 August 2019, at UFC Fight Night: Andrade vs. Zhang.[19] He won the fight via unanimous decision.[20]

Kara-France was briefly linked to a bout against Sergio Pettis on 14 December 2019, at UFC 245.[21] However, in early October, Pettis revealed that he was entertaining offers from other promotions after the completion of his previous contract and did not currently have a fight lined up with the promotion.[22] Kara-France instead faced Brandon Moreno.[23] He lost the fight by unanimous decision.[24]

Kara-France faced Tyson Nam on 23 February 2020, at UFC Fight Night 168.[25] He won the fight via unanimous decision.[26]

Kara-France was expected to face Alex Perez on 16 May 2020.[27] However, on 9 April, Dana White, the president of UFC, announced that the event had been postponed to a future date due to COVID-19 pandemic.[28]

Kara-France faced Brandon Royval on 27 September 2020 at UFC 253.[29] After both fighters were knocked down in the first round, Kara-France lost the fight via submission in the second round.[30] This fight earned him the Fight of the Night award.[31]

As the first bout of his new four-fight contract, Kara-France faced Rogério Bontorin on 6 March 2021, at UFC 259.[32][33] He won the fight via knockout in round one.[34] This fight earned him the Performance of the Night award.[35]

Kara-France next faced former UFC Bantamweight Champion Cody Garbrandt on 11 December 2021, at UFC 269.[36] He won the fight via TKO in the first round.[37] The win also earned Kara-France his second consecutive Performance of the Night bonus award.[38]

Kara-France faced Askar Askarov on 26 March 2022, at UFC on ESPN 33.[39] He spoiled Askarov's undefeated record, handing him his first loss via unanimous decision.[40]

Kara-France faced former flyweight champion Brandon Moreno in a rematch on 30 July 2022, with the interim UFC Flyweight Championship on the line, at UFC 277.[41] He lost the fight via TKO in the third round.[42] The bout earned him his fourth Fight of the Night award.[43]

Kara-France was scheduled to face Alex Perez on 12 February 2023, at UFC 284. However, Kara-France was pull from of the fight, citing a knee injury.[44]

Kara-France faced Amir Albazi on 3 June 2023, at UFC on ESPN 46.[45] He lost the fight via a highly controversial split decision. 19 out of 21 media outlets scored the bout in favor of Kara-France.[46]

Kara-France was scheduled to face Manel Kape on 10 September 2023, at UFC 293.[47] However Kara-France pulled out of the fight in late August after suffering a concussion during training, and was replaced by Felipe dos Santos.[48]

Kara-France is scheduled to face Steve Erceg on 18 August 2024, at UFC 305.[49]

Personal life

Kai and his wife Chardae have a son.[50]

Championships and accomplishments

Mixed martial arts

Mixed martial arts record

Professional record breakdown
36 matches 24 wins 11 losses
By knockout 11 3
By submission 3 3
By decision 10 5
No contests 1
Res. Record Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Location Notes
Loss 24–11 (1) Amir Albazi Decision (split) UFC on ESPN: Kara-France vs. Albazi 3 June 2023 5 5:00 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Loss 24–10 (1) Brandon Moreno TKO (body kick and punches) UFC 277 30 July 2022 3 4:34 Dallas, Texas, United States For the interim UFC Flyweight Championship. Fight of the Night.
Win 24–9 (1) Askar Askarov Decision (unanimous) UFC on ESPN: Blaydes vs. Daukaus 26 March 2022 3 5:00 Columbus, Ohio, United States
Win 23–9 (1) Cody Garbrandt TKO (punches) UFC 269 11 December 2021 1 3:21 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Performance of the Night.
Win 22–9 (1) Rogério Bontorin KO (punches) UFC 259 6 March 2021 1 4:55 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Performance of the Night.
Loss 21–9 (1) Brandon Royval Submission (guillotine choke) UFC 253 27 September 2020 2 0:48 Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Fight of the Night.
Win 21–8 (1) Tyson Nam Decision (unanimous) UFC Fight Night: Felder vs. Hooker 23 February 2020 3 5:00 Auckland, New Zealand
Loss 20–8 (1) Brandon Moreno Decision (unanimous) UFC 245 14 December 2019 3 5:00 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win 20–7 (1) Mark De La Rosa Decision (unanimous) UFC Fight Night: Andrade vs. Zhang 31 August 2019 3 5:00 Shenzhen, China
Win 19–7 (1) Raulian Paiva Decision (split) UFC 234 10 February 2019 3 5:00 Melbourne, Australia
Win 18–7 (1) Elias Garcia Decision (unanimous) UFC Fight Night: dos Santos vs. Tuivasa 2 December 2018 3 5:00 Adelaide, Australia Return to Flyweight. Fight of the Night.
Win 17–7 (1) Shi Xiaoyu Submission (rear-naked choke) Glory of Heroes: New Zealand vs. China 4 March 2018 1 N/A Auckland, New Zealand
Win 16–7 (1) Huoyixibai Chuhayifu Decision (unanimous) WLF W.A.R.S. 19 11 November 2017 3 5:00 Zhengzhou, China
Win 15–7 (1) Aori Qileng Decision (unanimous) WLF W.A.R.S. 14 20 May 2017 3 5:00 Zhengzhou, China Catchweight (129 lb) bout.
Win 14–7 (1) Wu Ze TKO (punches) WLF W.A.R.S. 13 22 April 2017 1 2:01 Zhengzhou, China
Win 13–7 (1) Rodolfo Marques KO (punch) Hex Fight Series 8 31 March 2017 3 2:59 Melbourne, Australia Return to Bantamweight.
Loss 12–7 (1) Tatsumitsu Wada Decision (unanimous) Rizin World Grand Prix 2016: 2nd Round 29 December 2016 3 5:00 Saitama, Japan
Win 12–6 (1) Crisanto Pitpitunge TKO (cartwheel kick and punches) Pacific Xtreme Combat 52 18 March 2016 3 N/A Mangilao, Guam
Win 11–6 (1) Josh Duenas TKO (punches) Pacific Xtreme Combat 50 4 December 2015 1 0:22 Mangilao, Guam
Win 10–6 (1) Shantaram Maharaj TKO (punches) Bragging Rights 7: Resurrection 27 September 2015 1 1:33 Perth, Australia Won the KOZ Flyweight Championship.
Win 9–6 (1) Dindo Camansa KO (punches) Malaysian Invasion: Mixed Martial A'rr 1 June 2015 1 0:12 Andaman Sea, Thailand Flyweight debut.
Win 8–6 (1) Jang Ik-hwan TKO (punches) PRO Fighting 10 9 May 2015 1 0:08 Taipei, Taiwan
Loss 7–6 (1) Ayideng Jumayi Decision (unanimous) Kunlun Fight 18 18 January 2015 3 5:00 Nanjing, China
Loss 7–5 (1) Mark Striegl Submission (rear-naked choke) Malaysian Invasion 2: Grand Finals 25 October 2014 1 2:10 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Loss 7–4 (1) Gustavo Falciroli Submission (brabo choke) Australian FC 9 17 May 2014 1 4:55 Melbourne, Australia For the AFC Bantamweight Championship.
Win 7–3 (1) Wu Tieyin Decision (unanimous) Kunlun Fight 1 25 January 2014 3 5:00 Pattaya, Thailand
NC 6–3 (1) Gustavo Falciroli No Contest Australian FC 7 14 December 2013 2 3:20 Melbourne, Australia Kara-France fell through the ropes of the ring and was unable to continue[51]
Win 6–3 Wu Tieyin Submission (guillotine choke) World Team USA: Fight for Peace 23 October 2013 1 1:54 Manila, Philippines
Win 5–3 Yudi Cahyadi Decision (unanimous) Bandung Fighting Club 29 September 2013 3 5:00 Bandung, Indonesia
Win 4–3 Kim Ho-joon KO (head kick) PRO Fighting 8 4 August 2013 1 3:44 Taipei, Taiwan
Loss 3–3 Danaa Batgerel Decision (unanimous) Legend FC 11 27 April 2013 3 5:00 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Win 3–2 Caleb Lally Decision (unanimous) Rage in the Cage: MMA Fighting Championship 13 October 2012 3 5:00 Tauranga, New Zealand
Win 2–2 Sam Chan Submission (guillotine choke) Legend FC 10 24 August 2012 1 3:21 Hong Kong, SAR, China
Loss 1–2 Agustin Delarmino KO (punches) Legend FC 8 30 March 2012 3 0:29 Hong Kong, SAR, China
Loss 1–1 Chad George KO (punch) The Cage 2: USA vs. New Zealand 2 December 2011 1 2:04 Whakatane, New Zealand
Win 1–0 Ray Kaitiana TKO (punches) Supremacy Cage Fighting 7 27 November 2010 1 N/A Auckland, New Zealand Bantamweight debut.

[52]

Mixed martial arts exhibition record

Res. Record Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Location Notes
Loss 1–1 Alexandre Pantoja Decision (unanimous) The Ultimate Fighter: Tournament of Champions 2 November 2016 2 5:00 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States TUF 24 Quarter-final round
Win 1–0 Terrence Mitchell KO (punch) 31 August 2016 1 0:30 TUF 24 Round of 16

*Date given is the air date of the episode. The actual dates of the fight are not released by the UFC

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Kaiwhare Kara-France is ready for battle at UFC 245". Māori Television. Archived from the original on 11 May 2022. Retrieved 10 December 2019.
  2. ^ a b "Stats | UFC". ufcstats.com. Retrieved 7 March 2021.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Jackson Thomas (2 September 2015). "Don't blink: Kiwi fighter Kai Kara-France fighting his way to UFC contract". stuff.co.nz.
  4. ^ James Borrowdale (2 April 2020). "Iron sharpens iron: City Kickboxing and the team behind Israel Adesanya's UFC success". Metro Magazine.
  5. ^ "Kai Kara France | UFC". UFC.com. 14 September 2018. Retrieved 4 October 2020.
  6. ^ "UFC Rankings, Division Rankings, P4P rankings, UFC Champions | UFC.com". www.ufc.com. Retrieved 5 December 2023.
  7. ^ Fighting Is In Kai Kara-France's DNA at ufc.com.
  8. ^ Sherdog.com. "Kai". Sherdog. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
  9. ^ Doyle, Dave (19 July 2016). "TUF 24 flyweight cast revealed". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
  10. ^ "Video: Kai Kara-France earns quickfire TUF KO". www.sportingnews.com. 5 September 2016. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
  11. ^ "Episode No. 8 recap: 'The Ultimate Fighter 24: Tournament of Champions'". MMA Junkie. 3 November 2016. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
  12. ^ "Kai Kara France received a UFC deal in a pretty cool way". MMA Junkie. 19 July 2018. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
  13. ^ John Morgan (21 November 2018). "Ashkan Mokhtarian out of UFC Adelaide, UFC seeks Anzac opponent for Kai Kara-France". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  14. ^ "Elias Garcia steps in vs. Kai Kara France at UFC Fight Night 142 in Adelaide". MMA Junkie. 24 November 2018. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
  15. ^ "UFC Adelaide: Kai Kara-France dominates Elias Garcia to a unanimous decision victory". FanSided. 1 December 2018. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
  16. ^ a b Staff (2 December 2018). "Two octagon newcomers among UFC Adelaide bonus winners". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2 December 2018.
  17. ^ "Kai Kara-France vs. Raulian Paiva flyweight bout added to UFC 234". MMAJunkie. 9 December 2018. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
  18. ^ "UFC 234: Kai Kara-France earns split decision win over Raulian Paiva". Newshub. 2 October 2019. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
  19. ^ NZME, Christopher Reive Christopher Reive is a sports reporter for (16 July 2019). "MMA: Kai Kara-France set for bout against Mark de la Rosa at UFC Shenzhen". The New Zealand Herald. ISSN 1170-0777. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
  20. ^ Anderson, Jay (31 August 2019). "UFC Shenzhen Results: Kai Kara-France Improves Win Streak to Eight Straight". Cageside Press. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
  21. ^ Marvin France (29 September 2019). "Kiwi Kai Kara-France books fight against Sergio Pettis at UFC 245 in Las Vegas". stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 4 October 2019.
  22. ^ Jesse Holland (3 October 2019). "Free agency puts Sergio Pettis vs Kai Kara-France 'on hold' for UFC 245". MMAMania.com. Retrieved 4 October 2019.
  23. ^ Christopher Rieve (4 October 2019). "Kai Kara-France to fight Brandon Moreno at UFC 245, Sergio Pettis now testing free agency". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 4 October 2019.
  24. ^ Martin, Damon (14 December 2019). "UFC 245 results: Brandon Moreno puts on striking display to outduel Kai Kara-France". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 15 December 2019.
  25. ^ DNA, MMA (25 December 2019). "Snelle terugkeer voor Kai Kara-France tegen Tyson Nam tijdens UFC Auckland". Retrieved 26 December 2019.
  26. ^ Evanoff, Josh (22 February 2020). "UFC Auckland Results: Kai Kara-France Outpoints Tyson Nam". Cageside Press. Retrieved 22 February 2020.
  27. ^ Nolan King and Mike Bohn (6 March 2020). "Alex Perez vs. Kai Kara-France booked for flyweight fight at UFC San Diego". mmajunkie. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
  28. ^ Steven Marrocco (20 April 2020). "UFC officially cancels four events due to coronavirus pandemic". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
  29. ^ Redactie (27 July 2020). "UFC Flyweightclash tussen Kai Kara-France en Brandon Royval op 26 september" (in Dutch). mmadna.nl. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  30. ^ Fuentes, Jon (26 September 2020). "UFC 253 Results: Brandon Royval Makes Kai Kara-France Tap". Cageside Press. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  31. ^ a b Alexander K. Lee (27 September 2020). "UFC 253 bonuses: Israel Adesanya, Jan Blachowicz cash in with championship performances". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  32. ^ DNA, MMA (9 January 2021). "Rogério Bontorin treft Kai Kara-France tijdens UFC 259". MMA DNA. Retrieved 10 January 2021.
  33. ^ Kai Kara France to turn failure into success against Rogerio Bontorin for newborn son. South China Morning Post. 23 February 2021 – via YouTube.
  34. ^ Anderson, Jay (6 March 2021). "UFC 259 Results: Kai Kara-France Pulls Off Wild Comeback Against Rogerio Bontorin". Cageside Press. Retrieved 7 March 2021.
  35. ^ a b c Lee, Alexander K. (7 March 2021). "UFC 259 bonuses: Kennedy Nzechukwu and Carlos Ulberg earn Fight of the Night for back-and-forth scrap". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 7 March 2021.
  36. ^ Mike Heck, Damon Martin (2 August 2021). "Cody Garbrandt to make flyweight debut against Kai Kara-France at Dec. 11 UFC event". MMAFighting.com. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
  37. ^ Anderson, Jay (11 December 2021). "UFC 269: Kai Kara-France Spoils Cody Garbrandt's Flyweight Debut". Cageside Press. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
  38. ^ a b Newswire (12 December 2021). "UFC 269 bonuses: Dana White feeling generous, 8 fighters get $50,000 checks". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 12 December 2021.
  39. ^ Dorff, Marcel (25 December 2021). "Onofficiele "title eliminator" tussen Askar Askarov en Kai Kara-France tijdens UFC Columbus". MMA DNA. Retrieved 25 December 2021.
  40. ^ Anderson, Jay (26 March 2022). "UFC Columbus: Kai Kara-France Upsets Askar Askarov in Thriller". Cageside Press. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
  41. ^ "Report | Brandon Moreno Vs. Kai Kara-France 2 Booked For Interim Title Fight At UFC 277". 10 May 2022. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  42. ^ Anderson, Jay (30 July 2022). "UFC 277: Brandon Moreno Stuns Kai Kara-France With Body Kick, TKO Finish to Claim Interim Gold". Cageside Press. Retrieved 1 August 2022.
  43. ^ a b Matt Erickson (31 July 2022). "UFC 277 bonuses: Brandon Moreno, Kai Kara-France among four $50,000 winners in Dallas". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
  44. ^ "Kai Kara-France announces injury withdrawal from UFC 284 in Perth: 'I'm gutted'". MMA Junkie. 22 December 2022. Retrieved 23 December 2022.
  45. ^ Martin, Damon (13 March 2023). "Kai Kara-France vs. Amir Albazi booked for UFC event on June 3". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
  46. ^ "Amir Albazi vs. Kai Kara-France". MMA Decisions. Retrieved 4 June 2023.
  47. ^ Harkness, Ryan (20 June 2023). "Kai Kara-France lands UFC Australia fight against Manel Kape". MMAmania.com. Retrieved 21 June 2023.
  48. ^ Guilherme Cruz (21 August 2023). "Manel Kape gets new opponent for UFC 293, faces newcomer Felipe dos Santos". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
  49. ^ "Israel Adesanya Officially Announces Next Fight At UFC 305". forbes.com.
  50. ^ Kai Kara-France [@kaikarafrance] (14 February 2021). "So proud of my fiancé @chardaeb Welcome to the world our son Cobi!" – via Instagram.
  51. ^ "AFC7 Gustavo Falciroli Vs Kai Kara-France Full Fight Ko on table". 28 January 2014 – via www.youtube.com.
  52. ^ Sherdog.com. "Kai". Sherdog. Retrieved 7 March 2021.
Categories
Table of Contents