Kai Kara-France is taking a break from UFC competition.
Questions were raised after Kara-France (25-12 MMA, 8-5 UFC) disappeared from the UFC’s official flyweight rankings in this week’s update, following UFC 322. The 32-year-old New Zealand-born fighter was ranked No. 5 last week, but is now absent from the top 15 completely.
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But why?
The former flyweight title contender has notified the UFC that he will take a year off from fighting, according to a report from Ariel Helwani. Since he has communicated that he will not be active and removed himself from the anti-doping testing pool, he is not eligible for the UFC’s rankings. He is not retiring, but he wants to spend time focusing on his personal life in the months ahead.
Kara-France made one appearance in 2025, an undisputed title fight against Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 317. Pantoja won the fight by submission in the third round. Kara-France earned a title shot after a bonus-earning, first-round stoppage of Steve Erceg at UFC 305 last August.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Why Kai Kara-France is no longer in UFC’s official flyweight rankings
