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Find your Sport Nation frequencyNew Zealand's Kara-France confirmed for world flyweight title shot at UFC 317
Stephen Foote • May 14th, 2025 10:30 am
Photo: Photosport
The worst kept secret in the UFC is finally out of the bag, with confirmation Kiwi Kai Kara-France will face flyweight world champion Alexandre Pantoja in the co-main event of UFC 317 on June 30 (NZ time).
'Donlt Blink' will have a chance to become the second New Zealander to capture a UFC belt after his City Kickboxing teammate Israel Adesanya.
The event will be part of the UFC's annual International Fight Week and will be headlined a showdown between Ilia Topuria and Charles Oliveira for the lightweight world title vacated by Islam Makhachev.
Makhachev, the pound-for-pound No.1, is expected to face newly crowned welterweight king Jack Della Maddalena for a chance to become a dual world champ.
The Aucklander is coming off a show-stealing first-round knockout of Steve Erceg in Perth in August last year.
Pantoja is currently riding a seven-fight win streak, most recently finishing Japanese newcomer Kai Aasakura with a second-round submission in December.
Pantoja and Kara-France met previously as part of The Ultimate Fighter reality show in 2016, when the Brazilian prevailed via unanimous decision in a two-round unofficial contest.
Kara-France has been a staple of the flyweight division since its inception but is yet to compete for a fully fledged world title.
He was beaten by Brandon Moreno with the interim flyweight world title on the line back in 2022.
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