Tag: Kai Kara-France

Full UFC 277: Julianna Peña vs. Amanda Nunes 2 Fight Card Revealed

The full fight card for July’s UFC 277 pay-per-view was revealed during the UFC Vegas 55 broadcast, and the main event will feature the highly anticipated bantamweight title rematch between champion Julianna Peña and Amanda Nunes. It had already been confirmed that Peña and Nunes would fight at the conclusion of the current season of…

Continue Reading Full UFC 277: Julianna Peña vs. Amanda Nunes 2 Fight Card Revealed at MMA News.

The full fight card for July’s UFC 277 pay-per-view was revealed during the UFC Vegas 55 broadcast, and the main event will feature the highly anticipated bantamweight title rematch between champion Julianna Peña and Amanda Nunes.

It had already been confirmed that Peña and Nunes would fight at the conclusion of the current season of The Ultimate Fighter of which both women are coaching. Now, we know the date and location, as the PPV event will take place on July 30 in Dallas, Texas.

Also made official is the interim flyweight bout between Brandon Moreno and Kai Kara-France. Champion Deiveson Figueiredo is currently sidelined with a finger injury, and there is no clear timetable for his return.

Kai Kara-France earned a crack at interim gold by pulling together three consecutive wins, the last two coming over former UFC bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt in a Performance of the Night-winning outing as well as a unanimous decision over Askar Askarov last March.

Former champion Brandon Moreno has only lost one fight in his last eight fights, with the sole defeat being against Figueiredo in their trilogy fight at UFC 270. Prior to this, Moreno defeated Figueiredo via rear-naked choke to win the title at UFC 263 and thereby became the first Mexican-born champion in the promotion’s history.

Also made official on the main card is the return of KO king Derrick Lewis, where the slugger will be facing Sergei Pavlovich.

It has also been confirmed that Paulo Costa will be remaining at middleweight after all as he will officially be facing the returning Luke Rockhold in a bout that will no doubt have many eyes locked in. And closing out the main card is a major bout between top-5 light heavyweights Magomed Ankalaev (#4) and Anthony Smith (#5).

You can view the full lineup for UFC 277: Peña vs. Nunes below!

UFC 277 Main Card

UFC Women’s Bantamweight Championship Bout: Julianna Peña (c) vs. Amanda Nunes

Interim Flyweight Championship Bout: Brandon Moreno vs. Kai Kara-France

Derrick Lewis vs. Sergei Pavlovich

Paulo Costa vs. Luke Rockhold

Magomed Ankalaev vs. Anthony Smith

Preliminary Card

Justin Tafa vs. Don’Tale Mayes

Drew Dober vs. Rafael Alves

Diego Ferreira vs. Drakkar Klose

Ramiz Brahimaj vs. Michael Morales

Ji Yeon Kim vs. Mariya Agapova

Nicolae Negumereanu vs. Ihor Potieria

Which fight are you most looking forward to on the UFC 277 card?

Continue Reading Full UFC 277: Julianna Peña vs. Amanda Nunes 2 Fight Card Revealed at MMA News.

Moreno: Kara-France Defense Better For Fans, Askarov Better For Legacy

While he’s got the challenge of long-time rival Deiveson Figueiredo in front of him this weekend, UFC Flyweight Champion Brandon Moreno is also aware of the other threats to his reign the 125-pound division boasts.

Moreno ascended the flyweight mou…

Brandon Moreno, Kai Kara-France, Alexandre Pantoja & Askar Asakrov

While he’s got the challenge of long-time rival Deiveson Figueiredo in front of him this weekend, UFC Flyweight Champion Brandon Moreno is also aware of the other threats to his reign the 125-pound division boasts.

Moreno ascended the flyweight mountain in his second attempt at UFC 263 last June. In his first shot at gold in December 2020, “The Assassin Baby” fought then-champ Figueiredo to a majority draw. In doing so, he earned an immediate rematch seven months later.

Making the most of his opportunity, and riding the confidence he gained in his five-round FOTY contender with the Brazilian, Moreno delivered one of the best performances of 2021 inside Arizona’s Gila River Arena.

After taking control of the contest in the opening two rounds, the 28-year-old made history in the third frame by becoming the first Mexican-born UFC champion. To achieve the feat, he forced Figueiredo to tap out to a tight rear-naked choke.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CY7aoomvbgE/

Moreno Takes A Look Beyond UFC 270

Now, completing a unique trilogy featuring three consecutive fights for the title, Moreno and Figueiredo will look to end their rivalry and this chapter of their careers in the UFC 270 co-main event this weekend.

After his performance last time out, the champion will head into the PPV clash as the favorite. Nevertheless, Figueiredo’s form before meeting the Mexican in 2020 was remarkable, and he appears to be in the best shape of his career and without the weight-cutting issues that have previously hampered his camp.

While “The Assassin Baby” is certainly not taking “Deus Da Guerra” lightly and acknowledges the challenge he has in front of him, as an analyst as well as a fighter, he’s not afraid to take a quick look towards the future.

During his appearance at UFC 270 media day on Wednesday, Moreno assessed the landscape of the flyweight division and named four possible next contenders for the title should he get past his Brazilian foe on January 22.

“I mean, Askar Askarov has an important fight against Kara-France. So, the winner of that fight can be the next one,” said Moreno. “Pantoja is definitely a possibility; he beat me twice in the past. Alex Perez is there too. Kara-France needs to beat Askar Askarov, but his last performance against Cody Garbrandt looked impressive. So, man, right now I’m very focused on Figueiredo, but I’m a Spanish analyst too, so I love to watch the other contenders in my division, and I can see these names (challenging for the title) in the future.”

Out of the top flyweights he named, Moreno has fought all but one, with the only omission on his record being Alex Perez.

The Mexican fought Askarov and Kara-France in his first two appearances back in the UFC after being re-signed in 2019. After a split draw against the Russian, Moreno took a big step towards title contention by recording a unanimous decision victory over the New Zealander less than three months later.

Prior to those triumphs and before his surge to the top, Moreno was released from the UFC following a loss on the scorecards to Pantoja. The setback represented his second defeat to the Brazilian, having been submitted by him on The Ultimate Fighter: Tournament of Champions in 2016.

Discussing the idea that the victor of Askarov vs. Kara-France, set to go down on March 26, could be next, Moreno broke down which rematch would be best. For the fans, the champ believes another clash with Kara-France would be more appealing. But for himself and his legacy, Moreno believes a victory over “Bullet” would do more.

“So, the thing between (Askarov and Kara-France), I fought against Kai Kara-France before and I beat him, like, very clearly. But for the fans, I think the style of Kai Kara-France is better (than Askarov),” added Moreno. “Askarov’s, kind of, these kind of fighters who don’t like, too much, to impress the fans [LAUGHS]. But, I mean, he is winning. So if you talk about which fight is better for the fans, I think (Kara-)France, but I think Askarov is better for my legacy.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/CY4JkiBpsBC/

First and foremost, Moreno must add another loss to the resume of Figueiredo. While he had little trouble doing that last year, the Mexican titleholder may be facing the best “Deus Da Guerra” to date on Saturday night.

One thing for certain is that whoever emerges victorious will have a plethora of worthy contenders ready to try and unseat them from the flyweight throne later this year.

Who do you think Brandon Moreno should defend the title against next if he can defeat Deiveson Figueiredo again this weekend?

Continue Reading Moreno: Kara-France Defense Better For Fans, Askarov Better For Legacy at MMA News.

Kara-France Happy To Spoil The Party UFC Had Planned For Garbrandt

Kai Kara-France is still reeling over his UFC 269 win.

Kai Kara-France is flying high following his win at UFC 269. He defeated former bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt by TKO in the first round of their matchup. The win was probably the bigges…

Kai Kara-France Cody Garbrandt

Kai Kara-France is still reeling over his UFC 269 win.

Kai Kara-France is flying high following his win at UFC 269. He defeated former bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt by TKO in the first round of their matchup. The win was probably the biggest of Kara-France’s career so far. The performance shot the 28-year-old to number six in the flyweight rankings. Now, two weeks removed from the event, Kara-France is still in disbelief of his performance. He spoke about his feelings on The Schmo Youtube channel.

“Every morning I wake up and I’m like, ‘Did that really happen?” Kara-France explained. “It couldn’t have gone any better, from the lead-up to the actual fight, and then the finish and getting a bonus, and everyone really doubting me and kinda overlooking me. Especially Cody overlooking me, already telling Dana, ‘I’ll be the alternate for the next flyweight title fight.’

Kara-France has been a staple in the UFC flyweight division since 2018 when he made his promotional debut. Since then, he has only lost two fights, one of which was against champion Brandon Moreno. Despite Kara-France’s résumé, most media attention was on Garbrandt and his move to 125 pounds. Kara-France thought the UFC had a plan to give Garbrandt a title shot off a win and was glad to put a stop to that.

“So yeah, the whole lead-up was a weird one,” Kara-France said. “I knew that I’d been putting in the work, so when I turned up on fight week, I was focused. I only had one person in front of me and that’s all I was focused on, which was Cody. And he’s too busy trying to fight everyone else but me and won’t even acknowledge me. It was kinda like I was set up. He was getting set up for the title shot, and I was just a pawn and a stepping stone for him, to build him up for flyweight. So I was here to spoil the party, and that’s what I did.”

The win over a former champion is sure to give Kara-France a boost in motivation and confidence. He will need this confidence when he takes on Askar Askarov on March 26, as announced yesterday. Because should he win this bout, a title shot will more than likely be waiting for him.

Will Kai Kara-France become the UFC flyweight champion in 2022?

Continue Reading Kara-France Happy To Spoil The Party UFC Had Planned For Garbrandt at MMA News.

Askar Askarov vs. Kai Kara-France Booked For March 26 Fight Night

Askar Askarov and Kai Kara-France are set to meet in March in what may very well be a flyweight title eliminator.

As initially reported by MMA Junkie, the two flyweights have verbally agreed to compete at a UFC Fight Night on March 26. This event w…

Kai Kara-France, Askar Askarov

Askar Askarov and Kai Kara-France are set to meet in March in what may very well be a flyweight title eliminator.

As initially reported by MMA Junkie, the two flyweights have verbally agreed to compete at a UFC Fight Night on March 26. This event will be headlined by former light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz taking on Aleksandar Raki?. The venue for the event is not yet known.

When Kai Kara-France pulled off the upset victory at UFC 269 over former bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt, the 28-year-old New Zealender had short-term aspirations of gold on his mind. Kara-France first-round TKO of “No Love” made for his second consecutive victory after having defeated Rogério Bontorin at UFC 259 in what was another Performance of the Night-winning KO.

UFC 269 results: Kai Kara-France spoils Cody Garbrandt's flyweight debut with massive TKO win - CBSSports.com
Image Credit: Jeff Bottari

If those two performances didn’t earn Kara-France the right to be considered “Flyweight of the Year,” then a victory over the undefeated Askarov followed by a title win would all but guarantee him that recognition in 2022.

As his flawless record indicates, defeating Askar Askarov has proven to be no easy feat, however. The Russian remains undefeated at 14-0-1, with the draw coming to the reigning champion himself, Brandon Moreno, in 2019.

Since then, the #2-ranked Askarov has gone on to defeat Tim Elliott, Alexandre Pantoja, and the legendary Joseph Benavidez. Askarov lobbied for this fight when the #6-ranked Kara-France wanted to “skip the line” so to speak, and his Christmas wish has been granted by the UFC powers that be.

The flyweight title picture will have more clarity after the trilogy title fight between Brandon Moreno(c) and Deiveson Figueiredo at UFC 270 next month.

With the addition of this potential flyweight title eliminator, here is the current lineup for the March 26 Fight Night card:

Jan Blachowicz vs. Aleksandar Raki?

Askar Askarov vs. Kai Kara-France

Amanda Ribas vs. Michelle Waterson

Sara McMann vs. Karol Rosa

Tucker Lutz vs. Seungwoo Choi

What is your prediction for this flyweight bout? Will Askar Askarov or Kai Kara-France bring themselves within point-blank range of a flyweight title shot?

Continue Reading Askar Askarov vs. Kai Kara-France Booked For March 26 Fight Night at MMA News.

Askarov Calls On Adesanya To Convince “Son” Kara-France To Fight Him

Askar Askarov is calling for a fight with Kai Kara-France.

Fresh off his UFC 269 victory, Kai Kara-France is flying high in the UFC flyweight division. He just knocked out former UFC bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt and is now looking for a sho…

Askar askarov Kai Kara-France Israel Adesanya

Askar Askarov is calling for a fight with Kai Kara-France.

Fresh off his UFC 269 victory, Kai Kara-France is flying high in the UFC flyweight division. He just knocked out former UFC bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt and is now looking for a shot at the title. However, while Kara-France has title aspirations, there is someone else who would like to take a shot at him, and that man is Askar Askarov.

Askarov took to Twitter on Wednesday to make a call out to Kara-France. However, the way that Askarov took his shot was to target middleweight champion and Kara-France’s friend, Israel Adesanya. Now, he is asking Adesanya to get him a shot at Kara-France.

“@stylebender give your son some encouragement you’re a great champion show him how is done if he can beat me no one can deny him,” Askarov wrote. “@kaikarafrance don’t be chicken.”

Askarov is currently ranked #2 in the flyweight division. He came into the UFC back in 2019 when he had a split-decision draw with now-champion Brandon Moreno. Since that fight, he has won three in a row and could be on the shortlist of possible title contenders.

Following his big win at UFC 269, Kara-France is only looking at the title. He wants an immediate shot at Moreno and could be willing to sit out until he gets it. Before appealing to Adesanya for his assistance, Askarov tried to entice Kara-France into a fight directly.

“@kaikarafrance I want to give you a chance to fight contender fight I am number 2 you are number 6 let’s see if anybody from your country can beat anyone from Dagestan we all know what happened last time,” Askarov wrote.

It is yet to be seen if this method of matchmaking on the part of Askarov will work. At this time, Kara-France and his team have not responded. However, this fight makes sense for both and could be a possible Fight of the Night contender.

Do you want to see Askar Askarov take on Kai Kara-France?

Continue Reading Askarov Calls On Adesanya To Convince “Son” Kara-France To Fight Him at MMA News.

Israel Adesanya Goes Nuts Watching Kai Kara-France’s UFC 269 Win

UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya loved watching his teammate, Kai Kara-France score a violent knockout at UFC 269.

Kara-France welcomed former bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt to the UFC flyweight division in brutal fashion, overwhelmi…

Israel Adesanya, Kai Kara-France

UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya loved watching his teammate, Kai Kara-France score a violent knockout at UFC 269.

Kara-France welcomed former bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt to the UFC flyweight division in brutal fashion, overwhelming him on the feet and dropping him early for the finish.

City Kickboxing continues to be arguably one of the best gyms in the world, and Adesanya was hyped watching his teammate score an incredible win.

Watch Israel Adesanya’s Live Reaction To Kai Kara-France’s Win

Kara-France’s win over Garbrandt propels him into the flyweight title picture, as he has now won back-to-back fights after a brief losing skid. He could potentially serve as the backup to Brandon Moreno vs. Deiveson Figueiredo 3 next month at UFC 270.

As for Adesanya, he appears set to defend his middleweight title against the man who he took it from, Robert Whittaker. The rematch between Adesanya and Whittaker appears has been announced for UFC 271 in February.

Adesanya has become arguably just as big of a star outside of the Octagon as he is inside of it. He has a YouTube channel, Freestylebender with over 600,000 subscribers, and has also amassed over 5.5 million followers on Instagram.

Adesanya has developed into one of the most prominent personalities in combat sports today, and Kara-France may not be too far behind him following his wild knockout at UFC 269. Both men are names to watch in 2022.

Who would you like to see Kai Kara-France fight next? What’s your prediction for Israel Adesanya vs. Robert Whittaker 2?

Continue Reading Israel Adesanya Goes Nuts Watching Kai Kara-France’s UFC 269 Win at MMA News.