UFC star Kai Kara-France has revealed he recently ran into a bully from his high school who inspired him to take up martial arts – and the thug is now one of his biggest fans.
The 28-year-old Kiwi fighter is on the verge of becoming the region’s latest champion, following in the footsteps of ‘best friend’ and Middleweight Champion Israel Adesanya and training partner and Featherweight Champion Alex Volkanovski.
He took a huge step towards taking the flyweight belt as he won a unanimous decision over world No.5 Askar Askarov at UFC Columbus in Ohio, USA on Sunday Australian time.
All three judges scored it 29-28 for the Kiwi, who was under intense pressure early but turned it around and battled through several submission attempts to keep beating his opponent to the punch with his boxing skills.
Kara-France, who welcomed his first child with his wife Char during the pandemic, said he was at a local sandwich chain in Auckland when a person came up to him claiming to have gone to the same school.
‘He was walking past and he came up to me and said we went to high school together. He’s a bit bigger now, he’s a tradie, and said he’s been following my journey,’ the MMA star told Daily Mail Australia.
‘I said: “Bro, I should give you a hiding right now”.’
Kiwi UFC star Kai Kara France (pictured) is a proud Maori man – and is looking to become the latest in a line of champions from Australia and New Zealand
France (pictured with his wife Char and their new child) recently had a run-in with a bully who terrorised him during school
France, who is now partnering with UFC champions Adesanya and Volkanovski to promote his friend’s clothing brand Engage, said he owes a lot to his high profile mentors as he prepares for a chance at the flyweight belt.
‘Izzy is one of my closest friends, he’s the best in the world. Alex too. The great thing about the gym is there’ll be champions in the room but also nine-to-five workers,’ he said.
‘There’s no ego, no bad energy, it’s like a place of church.’
France is hoping to shake up the stranglehold Brandon Moreno and Deiveson Figueiredo have held on the flyweight division
France is looking to join Adesanya and Volkanovski and be the region’s latest UFC champion (pictured with wife Char)
France, who found the sport after being bullied for his shyness and size at Auckland’s heralded Mount Albert Grammar – which boasts Sonny Bill Williams among its esteemed alums – said martial arts has now given him peace.
‘I was bullied a lot. I didn’t want to go to school, so my parents got me into martial arts. I’d never have thought that shy kid in high school would become this,’ he told Daily Mail Australia.
‘It’s crazy how things turn out.’
He now speaks at schools hoping to create better environments for children and inspire them to chase their passions, regardless of what anyone else says about them.
‘I want to have an impact in my community,’ he said, adding that he has helped in the design of Engage’s new release of fightwear.
‘I want put out something I’m proud of. I want want to represent New Zealand on my t-shirt, being a proud Maori man.’
‘I want put out something I’m proud of. I want want to represent New Zealand on my t-shirt, being a proud Maori man’
France is hoping to shake up the stranglehold Brandon Moreno and Deiveson Figueiredo have held on the flyweight division, with a fourth fight between the two champions expected later this year.
The 28-year-old Kiwi believes a win over the dangerous Russian Askar Askarov would see him next in line for the belt.
‘This guy is no.2, it’s a tough matchup. If he’s going to try and hug me, that’s the ticket to a title shot,’ he said.
‘I want him to try wrestle me, I don’t want to hear any excuses. I want a title shot after this. We want to bring it back, we want to bring more titles back to Australia and New Zealand.’
France will feature his own personalised shirt walking out at UFC Fight Night: Blaydes vs. Daukaus from 10am Sunday AEST that features him pulling a Pukana Maori pose with the New Zealand flag emblazoned behind it.
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