Kara-France in spectacular comeback knockout win
Kiwi flyweight contender Kai Kara-France delivered his first UFC stoppage win in a dramatic comeback victory at UFC 259.
In a crucial win for his career, Kara-France completed a walk-off knockout over Rogeio Bontorin in Las Vegas yesterday after being dominated for all but the final 20 seconds of the opening round.
Kara-France dedicated the stunning knockout victory to his son, Cobi, who was born last month.
‘‘I love you bro,’’ he said to his son in a post-fight interview.
Kara-France spent around three minutes on his back desperately trying to avoid a submission before finally fighting his way back to his feet.
In the fight commentary, UFC great Daniel Cormier called the fight as being as good as over twice as Bontorin had Kara-France’s back with his arms around his neck.
But Kara-France refused to give in.
He finally made it back to his feet and landed three righthands to complete an incredible comefrom-behind victory.
The fight ended in bizarre circumstances with Kara-France walking off following the knockout blow but referee Herb Dean didn’t call the fight as being as over.
Bontorin tried to get to his feet but was clearly concussed and when Kara-France went in to finish the job Dean finally waved the fight off.
Bontorin protested the result and appeared to throw his mouthguard at Kara-France, but the Brazilian was clearly in no position to continue.
Earlier, Carlos Ulberg’s muchanticipated UFC debut ended abruptly with a knockout loss.
The latest fighter from City Kickboxing to burst onto the UFC stage, Ulberg made his debut in Las Vegas yesterday in a spectacular light heavyweight fight against Kennedy Nzechukwu – on the undercard to the UFC 259 super-fight between Jan Blachowicz and Israel Adesanya.
The loss will be a huge disappointment to Ulberg because it was a fight he could and should have won. Ulberg started the first round strong and looked to be the better fighter early in the second, but he started to slow down and with his hands down and chin up, he walked into a brutal right hook when stuck on the octagon fence that dropped him to the canvas.
A flurry of punches later and the fight was waved off.
Ulberg landed 115 significant strikes to Nzechukwu’s 65 but flirted with danger one too many times and was stopped three minutes and 19 seconds into the second of three rounds.
■ For coverage of Israel Adesanya’s title fight, go to stuff.co.nz