Kai Kara-France defeated Askar Askarov via unanimous decision in a flyweight bout on UFC Fight Night at Nationwide Arena in Columbus on Saturday. Sports Ufc Fight Night Columbus Blaydes Daukaus

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Top Flyweight Kai Kara-France Removed From UFC Rankings Amid Extended Layoff

Kai Kara-France defeated Askar Askarov via unanimous decision in a flyweight bout on UFC Fight Night at Nationwide Arena in Columbus on Saturday. Sports Ufc Fight Night Columbus Blaydes Daukaus

Fighter burnout happens more often than fans realize in MMA. The constant training camps take a toll physically and mentally. Cutting weight repeatedly damages the body over years of competition. Brain trauma from sparring and fights accumulates with each passing bout. Some fighters push through until their bodies completely break down. And top flyweight Kai Kara-France is taking another route when it comes to health.

Mental health has become a more accepted discussion in combat sports. Fighters now openly talk about needing time away from the cage. The stigma around taking breaks has diminished significantly in recent years. Kara-France has been removed from UFC rankings after announcing an extended layoff that caught many by surprise.

Kai Kara-France Sudden Rankings Removal

Kai Kara-France disappeared from the UFC’s top #15 flyweight rankings today. Fans immediately panicked seeing his name gone without any explanation. Speculation ran wild about potential suspensions or even a release. The 32 year old contender had just fought for the title recently. His removal seemed completely out of nowhere to most people.

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But the truth is far less dramatic than suspension rumors. Kara-France is voluntarily stepping away from MMA for at least a year. He removed himself from the UFC‘s drug-testing pool which automatically disqualifies him. The USADA testing requirements mean ranked fighters must remain available for random tests. Once you exit that pool, you lose your ranking spot. Ariel Helwani spoke with Kara-France’s team to clarify the situation properly.

“He informed the UFC he would be taking the year off and that there are other things he wants to do.”

I did reach out to Kai Kara-France's team, and they confirmed that, yes, he is no longer in the rankings.

They told me that he informed the UFC he would be taking the year off to focus on other things. He is not retiring necessarily, but he is taking a break.

He has not been… pic.twitter.com/aCxr0Wxblc
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) November 18, 2025

The New Zealand fighter isn’t retiring from the sport permanently. He’s simply taking an extended break to pursue other interests. Kara-France wants to focus on cultural activities unrelated to fighting. He’s described as very spiritual with deep connections to his heritage. The fighter has participated in cultural events celebrating his people before. Now he wants to dedicate serious time to those pursuits fully. Fighting takes up so much energy that other passions get neglected.

His team emphasized this isn’t a goodbye but rather a “see you later” situation. Kai Kara-France can return whenever he chooses by re-entering the testing pool. The UFC requires fighters to be back in testing for six months before competing. So his earliest possible return would be late 2026 at minimum.

(Image Credit: Barbara Perenic/Columbus Dispatch – Imagn Images)

Kai Kara-France

Zaid Quraishi

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I am a dedicated MMA and Boxing content writer at The Playoffs. I was instantly hooked on MMA after watching the fight between Lyoto Machida vs. Gegard Mousasi back in 2014, and since then, i have been an avid writer with a deep love for the sport and its techniques, providing readers with a thorough understanding of the sport. My favorite aspect of working at The Playoffs is the creative freedom it provides. The diverse range of topics, from listicles and SEO to news articles, keeps me engaged and motivates me to continuously improve my skills! I aim to capture the excitement of the combat sports world in my writing, acting as the middleman between fighters and their die-hard fans. It is kind of like a referee, but with words!