UFC star Kai Kara-France has revealed he recently ran into a bully from his high school who inspired him to take up martial arts – and the thug is now one of his biggest fans.
The 28-year-old Kiwi fighter is on the verge of becoming the region’s latest champion, following in the footsteps of ‘best friend’ and Middleweight Champion Israel Adesanya and training partner and Featherweight Champion Alex Volkanovski.
He took a huge step towards taking the flyweight belt as he won a unanimous decision over world No.5 Askar Askarov at UFC Columbus in Ohio, USA on Sunday Australian time.
All three judges scored it 29-28 for the Kiwi, who was under intense pressure early but turned it around and battled through several submission attempts to keep beating his opponent to the punch with his boxing skills.
Kara-France, who welcomed his first child with his wife Char during the pandemic, said he was at a local sandwich chain in Auckland when a person came up to him claiming to have gone to the same school.
‘He was walking past and he came up to me and said we went to high school together. He’s a bit bigger now, he’s a tradie, and said he’s been following my journey,’ the MMA star told Daily Mail Australia.
‘I said: “Bro, I should give you a hiding right now”.’
Kiwi UFC star Kai Kara France (pictured) is a proud Maori man – and is looking to become the latest in a line of champions from Australia and New Zealand
France (pictured with his wife Char and their new child) recently had a run-in with a bully who terrorised him during school
France, who is now partnering with UFC champions Adesanya and Volkanovski to promote his friend’s clothing brand Engage, said he owes a lot to his high profile mentors as he prepares for a chance at the flyweight belt.
‘Izzy is one of my closest friends, he’s the best in the world. Alex too. The great thing about the gym is there’ll be champions in the room but also nine-to-five workers,’ he said.
‘There’s no ego, no bad energy, it’s…
Source : dailymail
