The co-main event of UFC 305 at the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia on Saturday was a key flyweight fight featuring top contenders Kai Kara-France and Steve Erceg.
Kara-France entered ranked #4 in the weight class, while Erceg sat at #7 despite fighting for the 125lb title earlier this year.
Erceg held center early in the opening round, which saw a fair amount of movement and feeling out with minimal connections. Kara-France was heavy on the feints, while Erceg began to pump his jab. A relatively low-action round exploded towards the final minute, however, when Kara-France dropped Erceg with a left! Erceg stumbled back to his feet, but Kai Kara-France was all over him! Erceg went down again off a right hand, and Kara-France swarmed, drawing the ref in to make the save!
With a #4 ranking next to his name Kai Kara-France now has 13 first-round knockouts to his name, and may have landed himself a title fight. Given most of the top contenders are coming off losses (or have been released), it would be hard to argue against it.
“I want my action to be my loudest voice,” Kara-France said following the win, asking whether he should fight for the title. The New Zealand native had not fought since June of 2023. He previously challenged Brandon Moreno for an interim.
Official Result: Kai Kara-France def. Steve Erceg by TKO (punches), Round 1, 4:04
