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Kai Kara-France’s patience has been rewarded with the biggest fight of his career.

Stuff can confirm the 26-yearold Kiwi will meet fifth-ranked flyweight Sergio Pettis (18-5) at UFC 245 in Las Vegas on December 15 (NZ time).

It’s a huge opportunity for Kara-France (20-7), who has wasted little time making his mark since signing with the UFC, registering a third-straight victory last month to extend his overall winning streak to eight.

Should he manage to keep the momentum going against a fighter of Pettis’ stature, he could potentially be just one more win away from a title shot, with the belt currently held by two-weight champion Henry Cejudo, of the United States.

‘‘It’s pretty much the best-case scenario, fighting on one of the biggest cards of the year,’’ said Kara-France, who’s ranked ninth in the division.

‘‘We got the matchup that we wanted. I’ve been watching him for a while now, I’ve liked his style and he’s been there and done it but I’m more than ready to do this.’’

Pettis, the younger brother of former UFC lightweight champion Anthony, has been fighting in the promotion since 2013 and is one of the stars of the division.

The American has an impressive body of work, having beaten No 1 contender Joseph Benavidez last year. Other notable results include wins over Brandon Moreno and John Moraga, while he went the distance with Cejudo in 2017.

After a brief stint at bantamweight, Pettis marked his return to flyweight in Mexico last week with a decision win over debutant Tyson Nam.

It shapes as a significant step up for Kara-France but while he respects Pettis’ record, he’s not overawed by the task at hand and is confident that the matchup suits his style.

‘‘It’s all in front of me so I’ve just got to make sure that I don’t get too caught up in looking at my opponent,’’ he said.

‘‘I’ve never really been a person to do that, I just focus on what I have to do. I fully trust my team and my coaches that we’ll prepare the best we can.’’

The bout is the last on KaraFrance’s initial contract but he’s been in talks with the UFC and revealed he’s poised to sign another four-fight deal.