Tag: Amir Albazi

Jon Anik: ‘It was pretty clear’ Kai Kara-France beat Amir Albazi at UFC on ESPN 45

Jon Anik understands Kai Kara-France’s frustration with the outcome of his fight at UFC on ESPN 45.

[autotag]Jon Anik[/autotag] understands [autotag]Kai Kara-France[/autotag]’s frustration with the outcome of his fight at UFC on ESPN 45.

Kara-France (24-11 MMA, 7-4 UFC) was edged out in a split decision loss to Amir Albazi (17-1 MMA, 5-0 UFC) in this past Saturday’s headliner at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, a decision that had him and his City Kickboxing teammates in disbelief.

Anik agrees with Kara-France and believes the judges got it wrong.

“I certainly had Rounds 1, 4, and 5 for Kai Kara-France,” Anik said in a recent episode of the Anik & Florian Podcast. “A lot of people would argue maybe it was 2-2 going into that fifth round, but there was no argument as to who won that fifth round. So, I felt like it was pretty clear for Kai Kara-France.

“I understand the uproar from his teammates, and certainly it’s lazy to suggest that as an elite-level fighter you can’t leave it in the hands of the judges. More often than not when we talk about these fights that are exceedingly close, we are talking about elite-level fighters, and more often than not we are talking about five rounds.”

According to MMA Decisions, only two media outlets scored the fight for Albazi, whereas 19 others scored it for Kara-France with mixed scores of 48-47 and 49-46. It was a close fight throughout, but the momentum started to sway toward Kara-France in the championship rounds – not according to judge Chris Lee, though.

“In Round 4 of this fight, Kai Kara-France was 27 of 65 (significant strikes) and Amir Albazi was 5 of 29, and Chris Lee gave Round 4 for Amir Albazi,” Anik said. “So when I look at the singularity of that scorecard, I feel like Kai Kara-France was robbed in that Round 4.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 45.

Spinning Back Clique: Tyson Fury vs. Jon Jones in UFC?, Conor McGregor’s uncertain future, more

Watch this week’s “Spinning Back Clique” reacting to Dana White’s grim update on Conor McGregor and much more.

Check out this week’s “Spinning Back Clique,” MMA Junkie’s weekly live show that takes a spin through the biggest topics in mixed martial arts. This week’s panel of Mike Bohn, Danny Segura and Farah Hannoun will join host “Gorgeous” George Garcia live at noon ET (9 a.m. PT) to discuss and debate:

  • For weeks we’ve asked the question, “Will you tune in to ‘The Ultimate Fighter 31’? Well, the premiere episode featuring coaches [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] and [autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag] aired last Tuesday on ESPN. What did you think? And will you be tuning in for the entire season?
  • Focusing only on the biggest star in our sport, McGregor’s future remains unclear despite the expectation of a traditional ‘TUF’ coaches fight with Chandler. That much became clear this past Saturday when UFC president Dana White offered a grim update on getting the fight finalized. White’s assessment came on the heels of a Megan Olivi interview with McGregor in which he said he’s aiming to make “the greatest return in combat sports.” Are you buyng or selling? And if McGregor never fought in the UFC again, how would you feel about it?
  • Let’s talk about [autotag]Tyson Fury[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag] in the UFC. Wait what? It’s a fight that White, who’s said before that he’s against “gimmicky-type fights,” is pushing for as he doubled down on his offer to Fury this past Saturday. Why is White suddenly into hyping up a fight between Fury and Jones, and is he serious about this?
  • The UFC on ESPN 45 headliner between [autotag]Kai Kara-France[/autotag] and [autotag]Amir Albazi[/autotag] was a solid fight that ended in controversy, with Albazi winning a close split decision despite a vast majority of media outlets (19-2) scoring it for Kara-France, who has claimed robbery. What did you think of the scores?
  • UFC 289 is top heavy, with just main and co-main events that stand out from the card. [autotag]Amanda Nunes[/autotag] returns to defend her women’s bantamweight title against [autotag]Irene Aldana[/autotag], while former champ [autotag]Charles Oliveira[/autotag] and streaking contender [autotag]Beneil Dariush[/autotag] compete in a pivotal lightweight bout. We preview both fights ahead of Saturday night’s event in Vancouver.

Kai Kara-France disputes UFC on ESPN 45 split decision loss to Amir Albazi: ‘Whole world knows who won’

Kai Kara-France believes he was robbed at UFC on ESPN 45.

[autotag]Kai Kara-France[/autotag] believes he was robbed at UFC on ESPN 45.

Kara-France (24-11 MMA, 7-4 UFC) lost a split decision to [autotag]Amir Albazi[/autotag] (17-1 MMA, 5-0 UFC) in this past Saturday’s headliner at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas – a decision that many, including teammate Israel Adesanya, heavily disagreed with.

The City Kickboxing flyweight took to Twitter to compare UFC judges with those of the National Rugby League but promised to push ahead regardless of the setback.

“Who’s worse UFC judges or NRL Refs? 😅“

“The whole world knows who won but regardless we keep our head high and we keep moving forward. Appreciate all the love and support from everyone. Time for family and then we get back to work. 🙏🏻“

According to MMA Decisions, only two media outlets scored the fight in favor of Albazi, whereas 19 others scored it for Kara-France with mixed scores of 48-47 and 49-46.

Kara-France now has dropped two straight for the first time in his UFC career. His losses came in an interim flyweight title fight against Brandon Moreno at UFC 277 and now a main event against Albazi.

Prior to that, the 30-year-old won three in a row – including back-to-back first-round knockouts of Rogerio Bontorin and former bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 45.

Mick Maynard’s Shoes: What’s next for Amir Albazi after UFC on ESPN 45 win?

MMA Junkie’s Mike Bohn shares who Amir Albazi should fight after his victory over Kai Kara-France in the UFC on ESPN 45 headliner.

[autotag]Amir Albazi[/autotag] was triumphant in his first UFC headliner Saturday – but it didn’t come without controversy.

Albazi (17-1 MMA, 5-0 UFC) was awarded a debated split decision nod over Kai Kara-France (24-1 MMA, 7-4 UFC) in their UFC on ESPN 45 flyweight showdown at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, and with that he remained undefeated through his promotional tenure.

Many people felt the judges got it wrong, but Albazi came out confident in the result and turned his attention to a championship fight at 125 pounds.

The question is: Does he deserve it given the thin queue of contenders in the weight class and the fact he now has the name of a highly ranked contender on his resume?

Watch the video above for thoughts and analysis on Albazi’s future after his UFC on ESPN 45 victory.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 45.

5 biggest takeaways from UFC on ESPN 45: Dana White’s comments on Jon Jones vs. Tyson Fury, Conor McGregor

What should we make of Dana White’s attempt to book Jon Jones vs. Tyson Fury and his grim comments on Conor McGregor after UFC on ESPN 45?

What mattered most at UFC on ESPN 45 in Las Vegas? Here are a few post-fight musings …

Amir Albazi brushes off Brandon Royval after UFC on ESPN 45 win: ‘I’m the next one for the title’

At UFC on ESPN 45, Amir Albazi defeated Kai Kara-France and then brushed off tweets from UFC 290 backup fighter Brandon Royval.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Amir Albazi[/autotag] isn’t the backup fighter for the next UFC flyweight title fight, but he still sees himself as next man up.

Following a close UFC on ESPN 45 main event victory over Kai Kara-France by split decision Saturday, Albazi (17-1 MMA, 5-0 UFC) brushed off tweets from fellow contender Brandon Royval, who will serve as the backup for the UFC 290 co-main event between champion Brandon Moreno and challenger Alexandre Pantoja on July 8.

“That was the top three-ranked flyweight in the world, and I got the win against him,” Albazi told MMA Junkie and other reporters afterward. “I went five rounds, so I know I can go with these guys for five whole rounds. I know I’m ready for the title. I just want to go on for the next one, get my belt, and keep climbing, keep becoming the king that I know I am.

“… I got the win against the No. 3 in the world. Who else is it? Who else is above him? It’s Pantoja, Moreno, and I don’t know what’s going on with Deiveson Figueiredo. It seems like he doesn’t want to fight at flyweight. I’m the next one for the title. Brandon Royval, we were booked, and he pulled out of the fight. I don’t know what really happened. So it doesn’t make sense he goes before me and gets a title shot.”

Albazi remains undefeated in the promotion as he extends his winning streak to six. Three of his five UFC wins have come by finish.

Royval (15-6 MMA, 5-2 UFC) was deemed the UFC flyweight title fight backup fighter following a knockout win over fellow top contender Matheus Nicolau in April. The victory was his third in a row, a stretch that also includes wins over Matt Schnell and Rogerio Bontorin.

The upcoming title fight between Moreno (21-6-2 MMA, 9-3-2 UFC) and Pantoja (25-5 MMA, 9-3 UFC) is a rematch of a May 2018 bout. At UFC Fight Night 129, Pantoja defeated Moreno by unanimous decision. Moreno was eventually cut from the UFC, returned to the promotion, and went on to have two title reigns. Pantoja rides a three-fight winning streak into the bout.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 45.

UFC on ESPN 45 post-event facts: Is Jim Miller’s record resume UFC Hall of Fame worthy?

Check out the facts and stats to come out of UFC on ESPN 45, where Jim Miller continued to stack historic figures on his resume.

The UFC opened a non-stop schedule of summer events on Saturday with UFC on ESPN 45, which took place at the promotion’s home base of the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

The main event saw [autotag]Amir Albazi[/autotag] (17-1 MMA, 5-0 UFC) remain undefeated inside the octagon and take the next step as a flyweight contender when he edged [autotag]Kai Kara-France[/autotag] (24-1 MMA, 7-4 UFC) by split decision.

There were a number of other noteworthy results on the card. For more on the numbers, check below for MMA Junkie’s post-event facts from UFC on ESPN 45.

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UFC on ESPN 45 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Program total passes $18 million

UFC on ESPN 45 fighters took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay, a program that continued after the UFC’s deal with Venum.

LAS VEGAS – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 45 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $199,500.

The program, a comprehensive plan that includes outfitting requirements, media obligations and other items under the fighter code of conduct, replaces the previous payments made under the UFC Athlete Outfitting Policy.

UFC on ESPN 45 took place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The main card aired on ESPN following prelims streamed on ESPN+.

The full UFC on ESPN 45 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

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[autotag]Amir Albazi[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Kai Kara-France[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Alex Caceres[/autotag]: $21,000
def. [autotag]Daniel Pineda[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Jim Miller[/autotag]: $21,000
def. [autotag]Jesse Butler[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Tim Elliott[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Victor Altamirano[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Karine Silva[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Ketlen Souza[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Abubakar Nurmagomedov[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Daniel Santos[/autotag]: $4,000
[autotag]Johnny Munoz[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Don’Tale Mayes[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Andrei Arlovski[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]John Castaneda[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Muin Gafurov[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Muhammad Naimov[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Jamie Mullarkey[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Elise Reed[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Jinh Yu Frey[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Da’Mon Blackshear[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Luan Lacerda[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Philipe Lins[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Maxim Grishin[/autotag]: $4,500

Under the UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program’s payout tiers, which appropriate the money generated by Venum’s multi-year sponsorship with the UFC, fighters are paid based on their total number of UFC bouts, as well as Zuffa-era WEC fights (January 2007 and later) and Zuffa-era Strikeforce bouts (April 2011 and later). Fighters with 1-3 bouts receive $4,000 per appearance; 4-5 bouts get $4,500; 6-10 bouts get $6,000; 11-15 bouts earn $11,000; 16-20 bouts pocket $16,000; and 21 bouts and more get $21,000. Additionally, champions earn $45,000 while title challengers get $45,000.

In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-45 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.

Full 2023 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $3,414,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $18,003,000

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 45.

Israel Adesanya goes off on judges after teammate Kai Kara-France loss: ‘F*ck them c*nts’

UFC champ Israel Adesanya was not happy with the judging in the UFC on ESPN 45 main event between Kai Kara-France and Amir Albazi.

UFC middleweight champion [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] was not happy with the judges in the UFC on ESPN 45 main event.

At the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Adesanya’s teammate [autotag]Kai Kara-France[/autotag] fought a close five-round battle against [autotag]Amir Albazi[/autotag]. Although many in the MMA space watching at home thought Kara-France was going to get his hand raised when the official decision was read, it was Albazi who emerged victorious with the split.

Official judges Chris Lee and Sal D’Amato scored the fight 48-47 for Albazi, while Mike Bell also turned in a 48-47, but in favor of Kara-France.

Adesanya was keeping close tabs on the fight, and soon after the official result was read, he relayed his displeasure in a series of Tweets taking shots at the judges who did not score the fight for his City Kickboxing teammate.

“Nah bro…F*ck yous!!!” Adesanya wrote on Twitter in the first of four tweets.

“Fire Chris Lee & Sal Deez nuts,” Adesanya continued in a second message, apparently before the scores were even read.

“I tweeted that before even seeing the scorecards because I knew them two will f*ck it up!!” Adesanya wrote in a third tweet. “How many times will they rob athletes of their moments of glory, of [sic] their money, their livelihood for their family? F*ck them c*nts, they need to expire quickly and go. Mike Bell was the only judge to score this properly, the other two deff need to disappear.”

In a fourth, and much calmer Tweet, Adesanya made a suggestion that has often bounced around in MMA circles over the years, especially after a close, controversial judging result.

“Start interviewing the judges after fights,” Adesanya wrote. “Hold them accountable for their work.”

The UFC on ESPN 45 main event was the second split decision result of Kara-France’s UFC run. At UFC 234 in 2019, he was on the winning side of dueling scorecards, picking up a win over Raulian Paiva.

Saturday’s result marked the second straight loss for Kara-France, after losing his bid to claim the vacant interim title at UFC 277 last July against current undisputed champion Brandon Moreno. Prior to his current skid, he won three straight, including first-round stoppages of Rogerio Bontorin and Cody Garbrandt.

UFC on ESPN 45 results: Amir Albazi wins thin split decision over Kai Kara-France

Amir Albazi remains undefeated in the UFC after edging out a close split decision win at UFC on ESPN 45 over Kai Kara-France in Las Vegas.

[autotag]Amir Albazi[/autotag] is one step closer to a shot at the flyweight title after winning his first UFC main event.

Although he had to sweat out the reading of the official scores after five close rounds, Albazi (17-1 MMA, 5-0 UFC) remained undefeated in the promotion by winning a very close split decision over former interim title challenger Kai Kara-France (24-11 MMA, 7-4 UFC). Dueling scores of 48-47 were turned in by the cageside judges, declaring Albazi the winner of the flyweight main event of UFC on ESPN 45 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

The fight began at a tentative pace for the opening minute before Albazi shot in to clinch against the cage. The position stalled out as the referee called for action, and they returned to the center to exchange strikes, with Albazi controlling the cage. Kara-France began moving forward and landed some nice punches and leg kicks. Albazi reset and then returned to moving forward with strikes of his own. The back-and-forth round came to a close with both fighters taunting and staring each other down after the horn.

Sharp jabs from both landed early in the second round. The flyweights covered every corner of the octagon as they took turns offering strikes. Kara-France worked leg kicks, while both found a home for the overhand right.

Albazi implemented his grappling game in the third as he dragged Kara-France to the mat. With over three minutes to work, Albazi began working from the back, offering short punches while maintaining control of the position to set up submissions. Kara-France threw punches over his head, but soon found himself fighting off a very deep rear-naked choke attempt. After narrowly slipping out of the choke, Kara-France worked his way to reverse the position and ended up raining down strikes from the top in the final seconds before the horn.

The first half of the fourth was spent on the feet. A few intermittent strikes were exchanged with Kara-France leading the action. Albazi went for the takedown again, but had no success.

Kara-France scored with clean strikes early in the fifth. Just as momentum began to settle in his favor, Albazi looked to change the tide with a takedown. However, Kara-France kept things standing and got back to work leading the dance in the striking department. In the final seconds of the fight, a brawl broke out, but neither man landed a severely punishing strike, and the fight would go to the scorecards.

The judges were split in their decision, with Chris Lee and Sal D’Amato scoring the fight in Albazi’s favor, while Mike Bell had the fight for Kara-France.

During his post-fight interview, Albazi made his case for a shot at the title. He entered the fight on back-to-back stoppage victories over Francisco Figueiredo and Alessandro Costa. Albazi is undefeated through five fights under the UFC banner.

On the other side, Kara-France has now lost his last two fights. His previous outing as a vacant interim title loss to Brandon Moreno at UFC 277 last July. Prior to his two-fight skid, Kara-France won three straight. He stopped Rogerio Bontorin and former bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt, in addition to a unanimous decision win over Askar Askarov.

Full UFC on ESPN 45 results include:

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 45.