Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Kai Kara-France

From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Kai Kara-France made an impact.

James Kaiwhare "Kai" Kara-France is a New Zealand professional mixed martial artist who competes in the flyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). As of December 5, 2023, he is ranked #4 in the UFC flyweight rankings. Kara-France is a notable contender in the flyweight division.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

November 2010: First MMA Fight

In November 2010, Kai Kara-France began his professional MMA career in Auckland, securing a first-round TKO victory over Ray Kaitiana.

2013: Move to Thailand for MMA Training

In 2013, Kai Kara-France moved to Phuket, Thailand, after receiving a Tiger Muay Thai gym scholarship. He then trained and competed in mixed martial arts around Asia and the Pacific.

2016: The Ultimate Fighter Tournament

In 2016, Kara-France participated in The Ultimate Fighter: Tournament of Champions. He won his first fight with a 30-second KO over Terrence Mitchell, but lost his quarterfinal fight against Alexandre Pantoja by decision.

July 2018: Signed by UFC

In July 2018, Kai Kara-France was signed by the UFC.

November 2018: Opponent change for UFC Debut

On November 21, 2018, Ashkan Mokhtarian was pulled from the fight against Kai Kara-France, citing an injury. He was replaced by Elias Garcia.

December 2018: UFC Debut

On December 1, 2018, Kai Kara-France made his UFC debut at UFC Fight Night against Elias Garcia, after Ashkan Mokhtarian was pulled from the fight due to injury. Kara-France won by unanimous decision, and both fighters earned US$50,000 Fight of the Night bonuses.

February 2019: UFC 234 Victory

On February 10, 2019, Kai Kara-France faced Raulian Paiva at UFC 234, winning the fight via split decision.

August 2019: UFC Fight Night Victory

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

December 2019: UFC 245 Fight

In December 2019, Kai Kara-France faced Brandon Moreno at UFC 245, losing the fight by unanimous decision.

February 2020: UFC Fight Night 168 Win

On February 23, 2020, Kai Kara-France faced Tyson Nam at UFC Fight Night 168 and won the fight via unanimous decision.

May 2020: Fight Postponed Due to COVID-19

In May 2020, Kai Kara-France's expected fight against Alex Perez was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

September 2020: UFC 253 Loss

On September 27, 2020, at UFC 253, Kai Kara-France faced Brandon Royval and lost via submission in the second round, earning the Fight of the Night award.

March 2021: UFC 259 Victory

On March 6, 2021, at UFC 259, Kai Kara-France faced Rogério Bontorin and won the fight via knockout in the first round, earning the Performance of the Night award.

December 2021: UFC 269 Win

On December 11, 2021, at UFC 269, Kai Kara-France faced former UFC Bantamweight Champion Cody Garbrandt and won the fight via TKO in the first round, also earning his second consecutive Performance of the Night bonus award.

March 2022: UFC on ESPN 33 Win

On March 26, 2022, at UFC on ESPN 33, Kai Kara-France faced Askar Askarov and won the fight via unanimous decision, handing Askarov his first professional loss.

July 2022: UFC 277 Loss

On July 30, 2022, at UFC 277, Kai Kara-France faced Brandon Moreno in a rematch for the interim UFC Flyweight Championship. He lost the fight via TKO in the third round. The bout earned him his fourth Fight of the Night award.

February 2023: Pulled out of UFC 284

In February 2023, Kai Kara-France was scheduled to face Alex Perez at UFC 284, but he was pulled out of the fight due to a knee injury.

June 2023: UFC on ESPN 46 Loss

On June 3, 2023, at UFC on ESPN 46, Kai Kara-France faced Amir Albazi and lost the fight via a highly controversial split decision.

September 2023: Pulled out of UFC 293

In September 2023, Kai Kara-France was scheduled to face Manel Kape at UFC 293, but he pulled out of the fight in late August after suffering a concussion during training.

December 2023: UFC Flyweight Ranking

As of December 2023, Kai Kara-France is ranked #4 in the UFC flyweight rankings.

August 2024: UFC 305 Win

On August 18, 2024, Kai Kara-France faced Steve Erceg at UFC 305. He won the fight by technical knockout in the first round, earning another Performance of the Night award.

April 2025: Scheduled fight with Alexandre Pantoja

In April 2025, Kai Kara-France was reportedly scheduled to face Alexandre Pantoja for the UFC Flyweight Championship at UFC 314. However, the bout was moved to June 7, 2025.

June 2025: Rescheduled fight with Alexandre Pantoja

In June 2025, Kai Kara-France's bout against Alexandre Pantoja for the UFC Flyweight Championship, originally scheduled for April, was moved to June 7, 2025, at UFC 316 but never came to fruition. The bout is reportedly going to take place on June 28, 2025 at UFC 317.