It was yet another routine weekly rankings after UFC 322, until it wasn’t. As expected, the welterweight division went through a major reshuffling. Islam Makhachev’s victory over Jack Della Maddalena earned him the belt and propelled him straight to the top of the rankings. The remaining welterweight clashes added even more movement, and divisions such as lightweight, women’s strawweight, and the pound-for-pound list also saw noticeable adjustments. Still, the biggest surprise came from a division that wasn’t even featured on the card.

Kai Kara-France, who was ranked No. 5 just last week in the flyweight division, had disappeared from the updated list. MMA journalist and GM of CFFC, John Morgan, stated on X, “No idea why Kai Kara-France was removed from the rankings. UFC will need to clarify there. He was eligible to be ranked by the committee, and I logged back in to see if he was removed overnight for some reason, but his name still remains there.”

It hasn’t been a fruitful stretch for ‘Don’t Blink’ who went 1-3 in his last four UFC fights. But his most recent appearance came this past summer for a title shot.

He challenged reigning champion Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 317. The buildup to the fight carried plenty of excitement, especially with the spotlight on his Māori roots. But once the cage door closed, Pantoja took control from the opening moments and dominated the New Zealander before finishing him with a third-round rear-naked choke.

Kara-France admitted it was difficult to get back up from that moment when he had poured so much into it, especially after he had been in the position three years prior, when he was denied the title by Brandon Moreno. “It is harder to get up every time,” he said.

Since then, there have been no public updates on ‘Don’t Blink’s status.

A fighter automatically goes down the rankings when he hasn’t fought for months, and is completely dropped off in cases of retirement. The Kiwi’s situation warrants neither, leaving fans on social media demanding answers from the UFC CEO over his sudden removal.

Questions rise over Kai Kara-France’s future as Dana White and Co. stay quiet

When Kai Kara-France joined the UFC in 2018, many saw him as a rising star from Oceania, alongside fellow talents like Israel Adesanya and Dan Hooker. He had already built an impressive record in regional competition, but after dropping his first two UFC fights between 2018 and 2022, his momentum slowed, and his path to the top became more challenging. The struggles continued in June 2023, when he fell to Brandon Moreno in an interim title bout. He then suffered another loss against Amir Albazi.

Although he bounced back with a win over Steve Erceg, his summer title shot ended in disappointment. These setbacks fueled speculation on social media, with fans commenting, “I guess he retired.” Kai Kara-France’s absence opened the door for Manel Kape, moving everyone below him up one spot in the rankings. Some fans still hoped he might return to bantamweight, noting, “Must be moving back up to bantamweight.”

Kara-France performed well in that division before joining the UFC, but not everyone remained convinced. One fan warned, “Moving up not gonna do much after getting ragdolled by Pantoja who is relatively small.”

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His Instagram posts do not make it clear whether Kai Kara-France has retired, or the UFC has released him. Recently, he shared a poster for the upcoming UFC Qatar event on November 22 and posted photos from a trip to Oceania with friends, catching fish. Some fans saw this as a retirement signal, commenting, “That’s why his Instagram profile looked like a retired fighter.” Meanwhile, attention has shifted to the UFC’s decision to bring back controversial undefeated flyweight star Muhammad Mokaev, who was cut last year due to his antics. Since then, Mokaev has repeatedly lobbied Dana White for a return.

Even though White initially dismissed him, many believe Mokaev has the potential to be the next champion. One fan summed it up: “Kai Kara Out, Mokaev in. That’s what I call an upgrade.” In a recent interview, Mokaev revealed that he plans to meet Dana White personally at UFC Qatar to make his case for a comeback.

Fans, on the other hand, are not concerned about ‘Don’t Blink’ being removed from the rankings, with some even celebrating the decision: “They just realized he shit and don’t belong in the rankings that’s all.”

After his loss to Alexandre Pantoja, critics agreed that Kara-France is no longer even a top-five contender. Like the heavyweight division, the UFC’s flyweight division has struggled with a lack of competition, leaving it stagnant for years. Fans are now calling for fresh talent, stating, “Both weight classes need some new blood!”

The sudden disappearance of Kai Kara-France from the flyweight rankings has sparked debate. Do you think this was a technical decision, or is there something else behind it?