It looks like Kai Kara-France is eyeing a return to the octagon as he recently called out a top flyweight contender for a grudge match at UFC 305, which is scheduled to take place at the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia on August 18.
'Don't Blink' last competed at UFC on ESPN 46, where he lost a hard-fought split decision to Amir Albazi in the main event. He was then scheduled to fight this past September but sustained a concussion that resulted in him being sidelined for the remainder of the year.
While speaking to Combat TV, Kara-France issued a callout for Manel Kape, who he was scheduled to fight prior to his concussion. He said he wasn't pleased that Kape insinuated that his injury wasn't legitimate and noted that the grudge match is one everybody wants to see. He said:
"It's a fight that I've always wanted to run back, the amount of hype behind this fight, the fans want it, I want it and I know he wants it. If he's ready for Perth in August, let's run it back." [4:38 - 4:54]
Get the latest updates on One Championship Rankings at Sportskeeda and more
It will be interesting to see whether the matchmakers attempt to book Kara-France vs. Kape for UFC 305 as the animosity between them would certainly generate interest from fans.
Check out the full interview below:
Kai Kara-France sounds off on Manel Kape for UFC 293 pre-fight press conference antics
Kai Kara-France recently sounded off on Manel Kape for his antics at the UFC 293 pre-fight press conference this past September, which saw him throw a bottle towards him.
Kape was upset at the press conference because the New Zealander withdrew from the bout and even exchanged words with then middleweight champion Israel Adesanya when he stood up for his teammate.
During the aforementioned interview, the 31-year-old put the No.6 ranked flyweight on blast for the way he conducted himself and shared what he took away from the press conference. He said:
"The way he went about my injury saying it was fake, the way he was talking, throwing a bottle at me. He has this entitlement like he's the champ, he's just trying to be a bully and I hate seeing that. I hate seeing people try [to] belittle people, and I just see insecurities all over." [5:11 - 5:36]