At the same time, “Don’t Blink” knows that his own rise up the rankings doesn’t leave any room for mistakes. “I want to eventually have a run at the world title,” he states. “I’ve just got to keep taking people out. I’m currently number seven and Royval is number 10. He wants my spot, and he’s got to kill me to take it.”
Fortunately for Kara-France, he and his three City Kickboxing teammates on the UFC 253 card – including 185-pound champ Israel Adesanya – will be receiving even more support than usual from their fellow Kiwis.
“At the moment, we’re about the only sports ‘team’ that’s able to leave New Zealand,” explains Kara-France. “So we have a lot of attention on us – especially from people who don’t normally watch MMA.”
The 27-year-old clearly loves representing his country, but also his weight class and, perhaps most importantly, his ancestors.
“I’m on the main card as a flyweight, so I feel like I’ve got a job to do and that’s be exciting and get a finish. I see it as a privilege. I’m also Maori and fighting just like my ancestors did. It’s in my blood. I didn’t choose this sport, it chose me!”
Sounds like a man on a mission…
“I’m coming in with bad intentions,” confirms Kara-France. “I’ll be putting the pressure on every second and seeing what this guy is made of. It’s just another cage. He’s just another person. I want to make a statement. And, at the end, I see myself getting my hand raised.”
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