Kai Kara-France recently condemned the UFC's decision to grant a title shot to Kai Asakura in his promotional debut.
It's a rare occurrence for a fighter to step into the Octagon for their first fight in a title bout, yet that's precisely the path Asakura will take as he is set to challenge reigning flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja in the co-main event of UFC 310. This exciting matchup is set to take place on December 7 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
However, Kara-France, who was campaigning for a title shot himself after his first-round knockout victory over Steve Erceg at UFC 305, voiced his disapproval of Asakura receiving an immediate opportunity to fight for the belt.
During a recent interview with Sky Sport NZ, "Don't Blink" stated that the 31-year-old Japanese fighter did not deserve a shot at UFC gold. He expressed that it feels unjust for dedicated fighters in the 125-pound category, who have put in the hard work to rise through the ranks, to be overlooked for a title shot.
They've got the wrong Kai," Kara-France said. "After my fight, I was calling for the title shot, and I was thinking, 'Sweet, I've got it,' and then I heard they're bringing in a guy from Japan, and his name's Kai. Bro, he hasn't even fought yet. I don't think he deserves it. You've got to at least show your worth or do something for guys who have been grinding for years in the UFC division, fighting the best guys.
We've proven that we belong here, so I don't know. That's just how I feel about it. It's weird that you can come in off no fights in the UFC and get a title shot. Hey, but if it's going to bring in more attention to the flyweight division, you know, a bit of controversy, if this guy deserves it, yeah, he can go out there and prove it.
Kara-France challenged for the interim flyweight title against former champion Brandon Moreno at UFC 277 in July 2022 but fell short, suffering a third-round TKO. The 31-year-old Kiwi has been a fixture in the UFC since 2018, compiling a respectable 8-4 record.
After signing an exclusive deal with the UFC, Asakura vacated his two-time RIZIN bantamweight championship, where he was a standout for nearly six years. He compiled an impressive record of 13-3 in the promotion, securing victories over notable opponents like Kyoji Horiguchi, Juan Archuleta, and Manel Kape.