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Kai Kara-France's most recent fight witnessed him lose to Amir Albazi via split decision in the headlining matchup at UFC Vegas 74 on June 3rd, 2023. The judges' verdict was widely criticized, as many believed Kara-France ought to have been awarded the win.
Judges Chris Lee and Sal D'Amato scored the fight 48-47 for Albazi, whereas Mike Bell scored it 48-47 in favor of Kara-France. Heading into the pivotal matchup, the winner was expected to move one step closer to a UFC flyweight title shot.
In the latest edition of The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, Kai Kara-France touched upon the judges' verdict. Kara-France feels as though his stock hasn't gone down, as most people know that he was more deserving of the victory. The New Zealand MMA stalwart suggested that he proved that he belongs among the divisional elite.
Ariel Helwani explained that he scored the fight 4-1 for Kara-France, giving Albazi round three; or 3-2 at worst, giving Albazi rounds two and three. Meanwhile, Kara-France highlighted that the loss has adversely affected his career to a certain extent, impacting his ranking and his proximity to a title shot. Kara-France stated:
"It's a tough one when you're looking at it, at my career right now. That cost me a 100 grand, that loss. It cost me my ranking, number three in the world... Where winning this fight would've just put me right back in with probably [Brandon] Royval to fight for the number-one contender [spot]."
Additionally, the 30-year-old flyweight and Ariel Helwani seemingly agreed that he clearly won the fourth and fifth rounds. Helwani opined that while the first and second rounds were close, Kara-France did more in both rounds. The duo also insinuated that Albazi clearly won the third round. 'Don't Blink' added:
"You've just got to think what are these judges looking at. Like, I wasn't going to win right from the start, if that's what they're looking at."
Catch Kai Kara-France's comments below (5:11):
Kai Kara-France addresses potential plan for his next UFC fight
During the same interview, Kai Kara-France and Ariel Helwani appeared to suggest that the judges' decision in his fight was as controversial as that of the infamous Paddy Pimblett-Jared Gordon matchup. Kara-France indicated that although it's the judges' job to score the fight correctly, he'll try harder to secure the stoppage and avoid leaving the verdict in the judges' hands.
Moreover, Kai Kara-France hinted that he'd like his next fight to take place at UFC 293, which will transpire in Sydney, Australia, on September 10th, 2023. Toward the end of the interview, he named veteran UFC flyweight Tim Elliot as a potential opponent. Besides, he also expressed interest in facing other top-10-ranked flyweights. Kara-France noted:
"When I was on The Ultimate Fighter, for some reason, we never crossed paths. So, who knows? We could be ticking off one of those names come September in Sydney." [*comments at the interview's 10:30-minute mark]
