Iraq's Amir Albazi wins UFC Fight Night bout, moves to 17-1

Los Angeles Amir Albazi of Iraq scored a decisive victory in the UFC's flyweight division on Saturday when he outlasted former championship contender Kai Kara-France by split decision.

In the UFC's Apex facility in Las Vegas, Albazi (17-1) defeated Kara-France (24-11) over the course of five competitive rounds. A third judge gave Kara-France a 48-47 victory over Albazi, while two judges gave Albazi a 48-47 victory.

It's Albazi's biggest victory in the UFC. He entered the 125-pound match ranked No. 7, while Kara-France was ranked No. 3.

Albazi called for the victor of the July 8 flyweight title battle between champion Brandon Moreno and Alexandre Pantoja as soon as the results were announced.

Regarding what he wants next, Albazi said, "There is no name." "Getting the title is the only thing I desire.

 All that matters is that. Oct. 21 sees [UFC 294] in Abu Dhabi. They're moving to Abu Dhabi, I know that. I want to follow whoever prevails in that title fight on July 8th.

Albazi, an Iraqi native who now competes out of Las Vegas, has gone 5-0 since making his UFC debut in 2020.

Despite his reputation as a skilled ground finisher, Kara-France fared exceptionally well against takedowns, fending off eight out of nine attempts, according to UFC Stats.

Despite Albazi being more effective with his output, Kara-France of New Zealand outlanded Albazi 122 to 65 in total strikes while defending the takedown.

Although neither flyweight ever harmed the other, Albazi had a superior strike rate and gained some time in top position when he successfully converted a takedown in the third round.

The outcome of the fight was in doubt because it was so close. Winning gives Albazi a huge boost in his quest for the championship.

Between 2021 and 2022, Kara-France won three straight matches before losing to Moreno in an interim title match last July.

Before Saturday, Kara-France hadn't made an appearance since then. This is the first time since 2015 that he has lost two straight games.

Albazi stated, "I know it was a close fight. It wasn't how I had envisioned the conflict to end. What is, is what is.

I bravely demonstrated my character and what I can offer. I have no trouble standing with these people.

The 29-year-old Albazi has three finishes in his five UFC victories. In Las Vegas at UFC 290 next month, Moreno (21-6-2) will attempt to make his first championship defense against Pantoja.

In January at UFC 283, he defeated Deveison Figueiredo to claim the undisputed title.

Who got bonuses UFC Fight Night?

Marcus McGhee gave the night's best performance.

Marcus McGhee of Arizona went from hoping to one day compete inside the Octagon to walking away victorious in his UFC debut, with a devastating second-round finish and an extra $50,000 in his pocket, in just a few short days.

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Advertisement. Khabib Nurmagomedov, a member of the UFC Hall of Fame and a former lightweight champion, is regarded as one of the greatest MMA competitors in history.

 Numerous experts and Nurmagomedov's rivals in the ring rank him highly among the best combatants.