Kai Kara-France will attempt to become the ruler over the flyweight division when he locks horns with Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 317.
The Kiwi star previously faced the champion nearly a decade ago when the duo competed on The Ultimate Fighter.
Yet while Kara-France’s undivided attention will be on the Brazilian ahead of their bout at T-Mobile Arena in late June, there is an intruiging subplot line already bubbling away under the surface of the pay-per-view.
MORE: ‘It’s my time’ – Kai Kara-France seeks title redemption against old rival Alexandre Pantoja
Kai Kara-France fires warning shot at Manel Kape ahead of run-in at UFC 317
Manel Kape has been locked in a long-running feud with Kara-France stretching back to a few years ago, which exploded in public view on the eve of UFC 293, when Kape took the opportunity on the microphone to call out the New Zealander.
This, even though Kara-France wasn’t even on the bill and Kape was fighting Felipe Dos Santos after the Kiwi had been forced to withdraw from a fight.
With Tai Tuivasa and Israel Adesanya to his immediate left at the press conference, Kape hurled insults at Kara-France, who was situated down in the crowd.
“Let’s go! We are here in Sydney. Unfortunately, Kai Kara-France is a b***h,” Kape said.
“He’s in front of me and he is f***ing guilty because Sunday this is going to be your murder,” he stressed while banging the table and making Tuivasa flinch slightly in his seat.
“Stand up motherf***r,” Kape screamed before hurling a bottle of water towards his rival.
Chaos inevitably ensued following the incident with Adesanya leaping to the defence of his City Kickboxing teammate, while Tuivasa adopted a light-hearted nature to try and de-escalate the situation.
The two men will now cross paths again before Kara-France co-headlines UFC 317 in Sin City, with Kape booked to face No.1 contender Brandon Royval on the undercard.
Asked whether or not he expected to cop more heat from the Portuguese fighter than his opponent Pantoja, Kara-France didn’t mince his words just under two months out from the showpiece event.
“I’m sure he’ll try to do something stupid,” Kara-France told The Sporting News.
“I can definitely predict that he’ll try to make it about him. He’ll try to steal the limelight. But he’s got a tough fight in front of him. All I hope is that Royval gives him a hiding.”
However, if both men emerge victorious on the night, a blockbuster clash between the heated rivals could be in the offing.
“When I win the belt, I’m sure the UFC will set that match up because it will be one of the biggest fights to make due to the lead-up and our history,” Kara-France said.
“But I don’t have to give him any attention. I’m the one who’s fighting for a world title, he’s on the prelims.
“He needs to worry about the fight that’s in front of him and I’ll worry about the fight that’s in front of me.”
In a final barb, Kara-France warned the 31-year-old that he had better keep his hands and his attention trained on Royval rather than trying to re-ignite their rivalry.
“Just don’t get in my face or throw a drink bottle at me because it won’t be the same reaction as last time,” Kara-France said.
“I was pretty civil about it – I knew to just leave it for the fights. But if he tries to do that s**t again, it’s not going to be the same.”
Read the full article here