"I just kept turning up" - Kai Kara-France narrates inspiring twelve-year long journey to UFC title after pro MMA debut
The diminutive figure of Kai Kara-France is slightly misleading. The fighter has slowly but surely turned himself into one of the baddest men walking the corridors of the UFC, and that is no mean feat.
'Don't Blink' will receive his first crack at a world title this weekend, and he attributes his success to consistently plying his craft. He has not been discouraged by the trials and tribulations of his past, nor have his failures deterred him from pursuing his future successes.
In an interview on the FREESTYLEBENDER YouTube channel, Kai Kara-France said:
"I haven't taken any shortcuts, and I feel like that's why I am where I am. I've learnt those hard lessons, coming off losses, picking myself back up and running it back. And that's what creates champions."
No hand-outs were given to Kai Kara-France along his path to success, who has quietly and diligently put in the work for years at this point. The exponential curve of improvement, derived from consistent hard work, is something Kara-France is beginning to notice more and more.
He will be hoping that all of his hard work and sacrifice culminates in a UFC world title on Saturday night.
Watch the full interview below:
Kai Kara-France welcomes the underdog tag going into title fight
Kai Kara-France was quick to thank his childhood bullies for placing him on the path that he has been on for the past 15 years of his life. He spoke to Niko Pajarillo of Fox Sports about his path through life.
Growing up as a small kid with a shy personality, the flyweight was subjected to a lot of bullying. Given his background, Kara-France has embraced the 'underdog' label and grown familiar with being counted out.
In an interview with the mainevent YouTube channel, Kara-France stated:
"I said it before [the Cody Garbrandt fight]: don't underestimate me and don't overlook me. It is probably the worst thing you can do. It definitely brings me back to my childhood, when I used to get bullied for my size. Being shy and timid, people saw that as a weakness. Now look at me. I'm one of the best fighters in the world, and I guess I can thank those bullies for putting me on this journey."
'Don't Blink' will be looking to exact the ultimate revenge over those who taunted him as a youngster by winning the biggest prize in the sport of MMA: a coveted UFC championship.
However, a tough test stands in the way of Kara-France, and it's name is Brandon Moreno. Confidence is oozing out of Kara-France right now, so he will fully believe in his ability to get the job done come Saturday night.
Watch Kai Kara-France's full interview below: