Perth – UFC flyweight Kai Kara-France makes his return to the octagon to take on Steve Erceg at UFC 305 on Saturday night, but it’s been a long road to get back in the cage.
“Time away is definitely…gave me a lot of clarity. Taking 6 months off contact was probably the best thing I could do,” Kara-France told reporters on Wednesday.
“Listening to all the specialists, all the guys there to save you from yourself, I guess fighters and athletes are always going to be too tough for their own good. Sometimes it’s better to sit with it, pull back to give my best, and I want to be looking at the next 5 years not just the next year. I feel the best ever.”
Kara-France (24-11) was supposed to fight Manel Kape at UFC 293, but withdrew due to concussion issues. Brain injuries are still some of the most mysterious for athletes so Kara-France took the approach of sitting back and healing up right.
“It allowed me a long time to kind of balance all my other responsibilities, being a father, being a husband, and obviously being a UFC fighter. I’ve allowed my body to kind of heal that wear and tear and just fight camps back-to-back. Just mentally refreshed,” he said.
At UFC 305 he takes on Steve Erceg who is fresh off a title fight with Alexandre Pantoja. Erceg was unsuccessful in his bid to become champion, but remains at the top of the division which means a win would be massive for Kara-France.
“I was here a year ago. I was supposed to fight on the Perth card when Alex (Volkanovski) fought Islam (Makhachev). The night before the UFC in Perth I was at a show called Eternal. It’s a local show. Mick Maynard was there, the UFC matchmaker, and Steve was the headliner,” he said.
“He ended up picking up Steve for the UFC and I was here in the crowd watching. I’ve seen his rise in the UFC it’s been fast and it’s been rapid. He’s made the most of all his opportunities. I’ve only got good things to say about him he’s a nice guy, and he’s talented. He’s going to be a tough challenge.”
Watch the entire media day scrum with Kai Kara-France above. He takes on Steve Erceg at UFC 305 on Saturday night.
