Amir Albazi snags split decision win over Kai Kara-France, calls for flyweight title shot – UFC Vegas 74 Highlights
Kai Kara-France and Amir Albazi put on a show in the UFC Vegas 74 main event.
The two top-10 flyweight standouts went toe-to-toe for a full 25 minutes on Saturday night at The APEX, but only one man was able to walk out with his hand raised and a potential title opportunity in his future. Kai Kara-France and Albazi put on a five-round striking clinic that saw each fighter find their share of moments, but it was Kara-Frace who had the superior movement, allowing him to jump ahead early in the significant strike totals.
While the Kiwi had striking totals on his side, Albazi was arguably landing the bigger blows, making the scorecards relatively unpredictable after the first two rounds. ‘The Prince’ was able to get things down to the ground in round three, taking Kara-France’s back and slapping on a body lock. With less than a minute to go, Kara-France was able to fight back up to his feet and reverse position, sliding into the guard of Albazi where he remained for the final 30 seconds of the third.
With the fourth round being incredibly close, both fighters came out with a sense of urgency in the fifth and final round. Kara-France went on the attack early prompting Albazi to change levels and work for a takedown but was unsuccessful in taking things to the ground. The final three minutes saw both fighters letting their hands go and giving the fans in Las Vegas a show. By the time the final bell rang, Kara-France had swelled to a -400 favorite after landing 38 more significant strikes than the opposition, but did the judges see it that way?
Official Result: Amir Albazi def. Kai Kara-France via split decision (47-48, 48-47, 48-47)
