Israel Adesanya and Kai Kara-France are currently the highest-ranked Kiwi fighters in the UFC. The two not only share that distinction, but they also share a gym and coach. They both train together at City Kickboxing in Auckland, New Zealand, under head trainer and founder Eugene Bareman.
Ahead of Kara-France's interim title bout against former flyweight champion Brandon Moreno at UFC 277, his teammate Israel Adesanya showed his support for him in a video uploaded to his YouTube channel.
The video was a 15-minute long feature interview where 'Don't Blink' sat down with Dave Adesanya and previewed his upcoming fight. Having uploaded a video of his teammate on his own platform, 'Izzy' received appreciation from fans.
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Adesanya has become a global name and a dominant force in the middleweight division with five title defenses to his name already. Still, that hasn't stopped the pound-for-pound number three from promoting his lesser-known teammates.
Fans reacted with wholesome comments under his video:
Kai Kara-France is ready for his first title shot
Kai Kara-France made his UFC debut on a night headlined by his Oceanian colleague Tai Tuivasa in 2018. Not far from his home in Auckland, he won his first bout in the UFC in Adelaide. Through highs and lows, Kara-France has slowly climbed the flyweight rankings to his current position as the No.2 contender.
One of the two losses he suffered in his UFC career came against Brandon Moreno. UFC 277 will not only be a chance to avenge that loss, but also feel a championship strap around his waist for the first time in his octagon career.
He spoke about waiting a long time for his championship shot in the interview on Adesanya's channel:
"It's a long time and it's a long journey. I haven't taken any shortcuts. And I feel like that's why I am where I am. I've learned those hard lessons, coming off losses, picking myself back up, running it back and that's what creates champions. When you turn up when no one else believes in you but yourself."
Check out the video on the FREESTYLEBENDER YouTube channel below: