Kai Kara-France has lived up to his nickname ‘Don’t Blink.’
Taking on Brazilian Rogerio Bontorin, the Kiwi had to overcome adversity after being taken down and having his back taken for the majority of the first round.
Kara-France appeared in a world of trouble with the Brazilian glued to his back, Bontorin had a body triangle on Kara-France and appeared to get close to getting under the Kiwi’s chin and securing a rear-naked choke on a number of occasions.
The City Kickboxing fighter did well to avoid being strangled, fighting the hands of Bontorin before eventually getting back to his feet towards the end of the first round.
From there, it was all the Kiwi.
Kara-France made up for lost time and landed a barrage of punches on Bontorin.
HE TOLD YOU NOT TO BLINK!
🇳🇿 @KaiKaraFrance gets the WALK OFF KNOCKOUT! #UFC259 pic.twitter.com/5Ca1GxhdJH
— UFC_AUSNZ (@UFC_AUSNZ) March 7, 2021
Kara-France landed a huge right hand, followed by a right uppercut and another right hand, crunching Bontorin to the canvas.
The Kiwi replicated the famous Mark Hunt walk-off KO which caused some confusion as Herb Dean did not immediately wave off the fight. Dean was forced to wave it off soon after however as Bontorin failed to successfully get back up to his feet.
“Anyone in that top 5 can get it,” Kara France said in his post-fight interview with Joe Rogan.
“I can avenge losses and get rematches, Royval, Moreno, Figueredo you can all get it.”
The win brings Kara-France’s professional MMA record to 22-9.
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