Kai Kara-France vs. Steve Erceg UFC 305 Odds, Time, and Prediction

After losing the title fight to Alexandre Pantoja in Rio, Steve Erceg is coming back home to fight against Kai Kara-France. UFC 305 betting odds favor the Aussie fighter, but we’re not so sure about that. To see whether Kara-France can stage an upset on August 17, keep reading this betting preview.

Kai Kara-France vs. Steve Erceg Odds

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When, Where, and How to Watch?

• Place: RAC Arena in Perth, Australia
• Date: Sunday, August 18, 2024
• Time: ~1:00 a.m. ET
• How to Watch: NBC

Kai Kara-France Looking for His First Win In Two and a Half Years

Kai Kara-France is 24-11-1 overall with 11 wins by KO/TKO in his portfolio, which is proof of how good a striker he is. The New Zealand-based fighter has a background in kickboxing, which is why it’s no surprise that he lands over 4.5 significant strikes a minute.

He’s also decent when it comes to wrestling, although he uses these skills mostly to defend against takedowns. This explains why his takedown defense percentage is 88%.

This is impressive given that he’s fought against some really good wrestlers, including Amir Albazi, Brandon Moreno, and Askar Askarov, all of whom average more TDs than Kara-France’s next opponent, Steve Erceg.

Steve Erceg Determined to Bounce Back With a Big Win

Steve Erceg is 12-2 overall with both of his losses happening by decision. The first one happened in his second professional fight; the other one happened earlier this year in Rio de Janeiro in the fight against defending champion Alexandre Pantoja.

Erceg managed to get through to the final bell, but Pantoja did ragdoll him in that fight. The champ landed 9 takedowns, which is shocking considering that Erceg is a pretty good wrestler.  

On a positive note, Erceg landed 111 significant strikes in that fight, getting his average to over 4.5 per minute. He also got hit 125 times, so his average is now 4.20 strikes absorbed per 60 seconds.

Kai Kara-France vs. Steve Erceg Prediction

Even though the Kara-France vs. Erceg odds are favoring the Perth-based fighter, we think a win by the New Zealander can easily happen. Skill-wise these two are very similar, but it’s Kara-France who’s got more experience. If he gives war to Erceg, we think he might win over the judges.

Pick: Kai Kara-France