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Important SN update for SouthlandWhat's next for Kai Kara-France after brutal reality check at UFC 317?
Stephen Foote • July 4th, 2025 3:54 pm
Photo: UFC
There's a sombre overtone to this week's episode of the Fight Club podcast, and for obvious reason.
Kai Kara-France's first crack at a fully fledged world title at UFC 317 in Las Vegas on Sunday, with the Kiwi well and truly outclassed by the phenomenal Alexandre Pantoja.
Pantoja came roaring out of the gates, setting the tone early with a feisty exchange on the feet, before putting Kara-France on the mat and mercilessly going to work.
'Don't Blink' showed plenty of heart in battling through a gruelling body lock the Brazilian had cinched in, but it was a sign of what was to come from the champion.
Eventually, the submission grappling wizard found his way to Kara-France's back in the third round and cinched in a vice-tight rear-naked choke to force the tap and end the New Zealander's hopes of bringing another belt back to Aotearoa.
While the performance was undeniably disappointing for him and his team, there's little shame in losing to a fighter who now sits within the UFC's Top-5 pound-for-pound rankings, one of the longest tenured champs in the promotion who is second only to the legendary Demetrious Johnson in the flyweight's all-time seedings.
With the fortitude we've seen from the Aucklander previously, there's no doubt he'll be back in the gym immediately upon his return from the US to begin his comeback bid.
So, what might his next opponent look like?
The most outstanding candidate would have to be Manel Kape.
The pair have a long-standing beef dating back to UFC 293, where the pair were originally scheduled to meet in the Octagon until Kara-France was forced to withdraw due to concussion issues.
The two men almost traded blows in a heated pre-fight press conference exchange, before City Kickboxing teammate Israel Adesanya traded verbal barbs with the Angolan.
Kape was scheduled to fight Brandon Royval at UFC 317, before a broken foot scuppered the contest. That allowed Joshua Van to step in and steal all of Kape's momentum, taking his place at the front of the queue as the next challenger for Pantoja.
Kiwi combat sports great Ray Sefo on PFL Pacific's focus on NZ MMA | Fight Club
Stylistically, it's a fantastic matchup for both fighters, who'd be able to trade without much fear of grappling reprisal, while offering an opportunity to work their way back up the divisional rankings.
Brandon Royval is another who's been touted for a potential rematch with Kara-France.
The two met in a barn-burner of a fight back in 2020, when Kara-France dropped Royval early, only for the American to bounce back and earn a submission via guillotine late in the second round.
The evidence is there the two are capable of producing fireworks, with the added incentive of both men looking for redemption.
Another intriguing option could be Kai Asakura. The Japanese veteran left his multiple world title reign at RIZIN to test his wares in the UFC late last year, and was thrown into the furnace with a first-up title shot against Pantoja. He ultimately became 'The Cannibal's' latest victim, falling to a second-round submission.
Photo: UFC
Asakura's reputation as an electric striker precedes him, and there were certainly glimpses of that in his seven-minute tussle with the champ.
While Asakura's No. 15 ranking isn't the most appealing, a finish against a proven commodity of his ilk would be a boon for 'Don't Blink'.
Tune in to the latest episode of the Fight Club podcast below for plenty more chat about Kara-France's joust with Pantoja and what lies ahead for the Kiwi veteran.
We also dive into the milestone day-out for Ilia Topuria, who booked his rocketship to the moon with an incredible knockout win over Charles Oliveira to claim the vacant lightweight title. Just how far can the Spaniard go?
Listen to the latest episode below:
