Coach Eugene Bareman talks what pushed Kai Kara-France to pursue MMA in a world where sports are dominated by giants Notifications New User posted their first comment this is comment text Approve Reject & ban Delete Logout

Coach Eugene Bareman talks what pushed Kai Kara-France to pursue MMA in a world where sports are dominated by giants

Kai Kara-France (centre), Eugene Bareman (far right) [Image courtesy of UFC.com] City Kickboxing founder and head coach Eugene Bareman has revealed what motivated Kai Kara-France to transition into the world of MMA. Bareman, who coaches UFC athletes such as Kara-France and , spoke to Combat TV ahead of his standout flyweight fighter's interim title fight at UFC 277 this weekend. 'Don't Blink' will face in a rematch of their 2019 bout, which saw the Mexican win via unanimous decision. Both men took home an extra $50k after being awarded the Fight of the Night honor. When asked about Kai Kara-France, the award-winning coach said: "I think Kai's always been a super-talented athlete. I think you get super athletes like him at that weight class. Where does a young, athletic, super-talented boy go when we are in a world where sports are predominantly dominated by giants? ... What do you do if you're a 50/60kg super athlete? ... You gravitate to a sport governed by weight divisions." Kai Kara-France made his UFC debut in 2019 and enjoyed a fruitful start to his octagon career, winning three bouts in a row. Moreno became the first fighter to defeat the New Zealander before 'Don't Blink' suffered another loss a year later. Kara-France appears to have found his footing again. He'll head into his rematch with Moreno on another fine three-fight winning run, which includes finishes against former bantamweight champion Cody Garbrant and Rogério Bontorin. Catch Eugene Bareman's full interview here:

Kai Kara-France admits bout with Brandon Moreno will be a dog fight

At UFC 277, two of the 125lb division's most elite fighters will come face-to-face again. Initially, Kara-France looked destined for a shot at the title, but an injury to champ means he must face Brandon Moreno for the interim belt. Speaking at a UFC press conference last month, the 29-year-old gave his of what will no doubt mark the biggest fight of his UFC career so far. When asked about those who continue to underestimate him, 'Don't Blink' said: “Man, it’s kinda triggering. It brings me back to when I was in high school, getting bullied for my height. I guess getting overlooked, underestimated. But man, this kid has a lot of fight in him. And that’s what Moreno will be seeing. It’s a dog fight and I’m gonna just make it that… I don’t care. If you doubt me, it fuels me. It fuels me even more.” 4 more weeks til we bring another belt back to New Zealand! 4 more weeks til we bring another belt back to New Zealand! The fight will be the fourth time 'The Assassin Baby' will feature in a UFC title bout. The 28-year-old has previously faced 'Deus Da Guerra' on three separate occasions, notching a win, a loss and a draw across the series. Should Moreno defeat Kara-France for a second time, it will set up a fourth fight with the Brazilian. Catch the full UFC press conference here: Poll : 0 votes Quick Links More from Sportskeeda Thank You! Show More Comments No thanks Delete Cancel Update Reply ❮ ❯ No thanks Delete Cancel Update Reply ❮ ❯ Be the first one to comment on this story More from Sportskeeda Fetching more content... 1 Logout No Results Found