“I’ve been a professional for 15 years now, fighting, 15 years of preparation for this,” Kai Kara-France told RNZ ahead of his UFC 317 co-main event showdown. ‘Don’t Blink’ appeared focused and determined to claim the flyweight title. He channeled every ounce of motivation into this fight, drawing deep inspiration from his Maori heritage. However, Alexandre Pantoja proved to be an indomitable force to overcome. Kai was heartbroken after this loss, but his teammates were equally drowned in sorrow to see him lose.

Israel Adesanya and Alexander Volkanovski were cageside during International Fight Week. Sure, the sport’s greats were there to witness some thrilling fights on display. But more importantly, they were on duty. Providing much-needed support to their teammate ahead of his first-ever UFC championship fight. ‘Izzy’ and ‘Volk’ were animated and full of belief that their dear friend would bring another title back to the land down under. But their mood quickly shifted in the third round.

Israel Adesanya and Alexander Volkanovski upset after Kai Kara-France’s loss at UFC 317

Honestly, Alexandre Pantoja looked like he had no intention of letting go of the flyweight title anytime soon. ‘The Cannibal’ kept moving forward, fully aware that his opponent carried one-punch knockout power. The champ absorbed some huge shots from Kara-France in the first and second rounds but still managed to outstrike him. And once again, Pantoja proved why he’s the best. Securing yet another finish with a rear-naked choke in the third round.

Sadly, Israel Adesanya had to witness his teammate lose the biggest fight of his career. ‘The Last Stylebender’ uploaded his entire reaction to the UFC 317 co-main event on his Freestylebender YouTube channel. When Kai was caught deep in Pantoja’s choke, ‘Izzy’ could be heard pleading in the video, saying, “Please, Lord, please! Fight Kai, fight!” Urging him to battle his way out. But after the Kiwi ultimately tapped, Adesanya, clearly heartbroken, said, “Pass the game, man. I wanted this so bad for him.”\

It wasn’t just him! Alexander Volkanovski also looked visibly heartbroken in the video. That just showed how much the CKB boys truly cared about seeing Kai win the belt. Adesanya and Kai have been training under Eugene Berman for many years. So naturally, the bond between them runs deep.

However, it’s also true that Kara-France has a huge ladder to climb if he wants to face the champ again. He definitely looked good during the moments he was inside the cage. But he firmly believes he could have done more, in getting up from the ground exchanges and forcing Pantoja to stand and trade with him on his feet.

Kara-France gives an honest assessment of fighting Alexandre Pantoja

Kai Kara-France is primarily a striker, so fans already had Alexandre Pantoja favored to retain his belt. Mainly because of the clear discrepancy in the ground game. It was expected that the Kiwi would show improved takedown defense and sharper scrambles to escape the compromising positions the champ was sure to put him in. Since that didn’t happen, ‘Don’t Blink’ now firmly believes there should’ve been much more urgency on his part to get up and fight back.

During an interview with Sky Sport NZ, Kai said, “Hats off to Pantoja. He’s the champ for a reason. He’s just tough. Cracked him a few times, and he just keeps coming forward. I thought I was sweet until it got deeper and deeper. Before you know it. I was just stuck. That’s his world on the ground, and it was just dangerous for me not to have enough urgency to get up.”

It’s also true that a few more scrambles could’ve helped Kai at least create more chances to get back on his feet. But with Pantoja finding his back a couple of times during the fight, the choke started to feel inevitable, unless Kai landed a knockout shot. That said, it’s clear that if ‘Don’t Blink’ ever wants to close the gap, he’ll need solid improvements in his takedown defense and fundamental BJJ skills.

So, do you actually see Kai Kara-France taking some time off to develop his ground game to a level where he can truly be a threat to Alexandre Pantoja in the future? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!