Athletes
Co-Main Event Spotlight | UFC 305: Kai Kara-France vs Steve Erceg
Flyweights From Down Under Collide In A High-Stakes Matchup In Perth At UFC 305
While all eyes are rightly trained on the middleweight title fight between Dricus Du Plessis and Israel Adesanya headlining UFC’s second pay-per-view in Perth in two years, an all-Oceania battle is sure to bring fireworks in the co-main event. Perth’s own Steve Erceg returns for the first time since his failed title bid in May to face New Zealand’s Kai Kara-France, who makes the walk for the first time since June 2023.
The fight comes with high stakes as Alexandre Pantoja continues his reign over the flyweight division. No 125er has made a definitive claim on the next title shot, and while Erceg has more work to do to get a rematch, Kara-France could put himself on the inside track with a win on August 17.
Order UFC 305: Du Plessis vs Adesanya
That’s to say: it’s all to play for when Australia clashes with New Zealand in RAC Arena. Let’s take a closer look at the matchup:
Kai Kara-France
“Don’t Blink” is one of three City Kickboxing representatives competing in Perth, along with Adesanya and Dan Hooker. When Kara-France last fought, he dropped a razor-close split decision to Amir Albazi, a result some still dispute in favor of the Kiwi. Since then, Kara-France had some injury troubles, including a concussion that scrapped his scheduled bout with Manel Kape at UFC 293.
Kai Kara-France Fight Week Interview | UFC 305
Unlock MORE of your inner combat sports fan with UFC Fight Pass! Fighting is what we live for. And no one brings you MORE live fights, new shows, and events across multiple combat sports from around the world. With a never-ending supply of fighting in every discipline, there’s always something new to watch. Leave it to the world’s authority in MMA to bring you the Ultimate 24/7 platform for MORE combat sports, UFC Fight Pass!
Kai Kara-France Fight Week Interview | UFC 305
/
After earning an interim title shot of the back off three consecutive wins, Kara-France is now looking at more than two years without getting his hand raised, so the pressure is on to get back to the good in Perth. The bout is Kara-France’s first in Australia since he took a split decision win over Raulian Paiva in Melbourne at UFC 234, and he is certainly relishing the chance to fight close to home. He has shown himself as one of the premier knockout artists at 125 pounds, with the defensive grappling and patience on the feet to make him truly elite when he puts it all together. Other than Albazi, his only losses came to former champion Brandon Moreno and former title challenger Brandon Royval (in an outright wild fight), so his matchup with Erceg is one he needs to ace in order to reestablish his place near the top of the division’s hierarchy.
UFC 305: Every Episode Of Embedded | Preview Every Fight | Fighters On The Rise
While he does have a loss to Pantoja on his record (who doesn’t, at this point?), that came on The Ultimate Fighter almost eight years ago, so Kara-France does have a chance to catapult himself to the inside track of a title shot with a big performance in Perth.
Steve Erceg
In one of 2024’s more surprising storylines, the unassuming Erceg found himself within touching distance of the UFC title just four fights into his tenure in the promotion. The opportunity came after a trio of wins over David Dvorak, Alessandro Costa and Matt Schnell, two of which earned him performance bonuses.
ICYMI: Dana White Talks Conor McGregor's Return, Jon Jones, Recaps Week 1 Of DWCS Season 8
Coming out of Perth and having built a good reputation on the regional scene, Erceg put himself into the rankings immediately when he beat Dvorak at UFC 289. His knockout of Schnell in March 2024 was one of the more brutal ones you’ll see in the lightest men’s weight class, and he did well to push Pantoja for 25 minutes. On two scorecards, Erceg and Pantoja were tied two rounds apiece heading into the final frame, where a wayward choice to grapple led Erceg to losing the fifth round on all three scorecards. Still, the 29-year-old showed he very much belongs amongst the elite at 125 pounds, and a win over Kara-France will cement that.
Meeting in the Middle
Stylistically, the fight projects as a fun, technical battle that should include the whole arsenal of mixed martial arts. Kara-France is a knockout artist, boasting 10 knockouts on his professional record. Erceg has shown his power and skills on the feet, but also holds six submission wins to his name.
DON'T MISS OUT: How To Watch And Stream UFC 305 | Public Events Schedule
Erceg is the taller fighter, holding a four-inch height advantage, but Kara-France’s 69-inch reach gives him a one-inch advantage there. Both men are accustomed to sitting in the pocket and trading power shots, and both have shown the grit and determination to take a punch. Kara-France is probably the more powerful of the two, and he has been much more tested than Erceg, but Erceg might have grown tenfold in his experience fighting Pantoja in Brazil. He'll certainly enjoy the hometown crowd getting behind him, but he’ll need to lock horns with Kara-France all the same.
UFC 305: Du Plessis vs Adesanya took place live from RAC Arena in Perth, Western Australia on August 17, 2024. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!
Tags