PERTH, Australia – Kai Kara-France returns after a 14-month layoff due to neurological problems.
Kara-France (24-11 MMA, 7-4 UFC) says he’s feeling great ahead of Saturday’s UFC 305 (pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+) co-main event against Steve Erceg (12-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC) at RAC Arena in Perth, Australia.
Following a narrow decision loss to Amir Albazi in June 2023, Kara-France was scheduled to face Manel Kape three months later at UFC 293, but canceled after suffering a concussion during training.
“The time off definitely gave me a lot of clarity,” Kara-France said Wednesday at UFC 305 media day. “Six months off contact was probably the best thing I could have done, and I listened to all the specialists, all the guys that are here to save you from yourself.”
“I guess fighters and athletes are always too hard for their own good and just want to get through it. But sometimes it’s better to live with that and step back and do my best. I want to look at the next five years, not just next year, and I just feel better than I’ve ever felt. It’s given me a lot of time to juggle all my other commitments.”
Kara-France talked about his healing process, which initially didn’t go according to plan.
“All of these different balance and vision tests and the visit to the neurologist felt like an exam,” Kara-France said. “I had to sit through a three-hour exam, including puzzles, memory tests and drawing tests, and it wasn’t about how well you can draw, it was about how well you can multitask.”
“In the beginning, my test actually wasn’t that good. I only scored 50 percent for my age and education, but then four or five months later, I took the same test and only scored 98 percent for my age and education. That shows that I was always going to heal, I just had to give it time.”
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