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Fight By Fight Preview | UFC Fight Night: Kara-France vs Albazi
We're Back At The UFC APEX With Some Excellent Scraps. Let's Break It Down.
By E. Spencer Kyte, on Twitter @SpencerKyte
I’m a food guy — worked in restaurants and catering gigs throughout university and after, as well; love cooking shows, cook books, The Bear, Chef’s Table, Padma Lakshmi, cool little haunts no one knows about, and the biggest and brightest names and places in the industry.
I love it all.
As such, things in my life often get related to food and restaurants and chefs and the like, and that includes the upcoming slate of UFC shows, as this weekend kicks off a 12-course meal of face-punching goodness, with events to follow each of the next dozen Saturdays, culminating with UFC 292 in Boston.
In keeping with the food/restaurant/cooking theme, Saturday’s offering at the UFC APEX feels like an amuse bouche or maybe even a tiny bite carried around on silver trays by good looking people in uniform. It’s a sample of things to come; something to whet your appetite and get you excited about the rest of the menu that is about to brought before you, me, and the rest of the fight-loving population over the next three months.
Bon Appetit!
Main Event Preview | UFC Fight Night: Kara-France vs Albazi
Flyweights occupy the top of the marquee and are the final duo to grace the Octagon this weekend, as Kai Kara-France squares off with Amir Albazi in what should be a fascinating and informative matchup.
Kara-France competes for the first time since coming up short in his bid to claim the interim flyweight title last summer in Dallas. That evening, he was felled by a kick to the body from Brandon Moreno, which halted his three-fight winning streak and sent him back home to New Zealand to regroup.
The 29-year-old Albazi has gone 4-0 inside the Octagon, but takes a considerable step up in competition here. He’s earned finishes in three of those four wins, most recently stopping Alessandro Costa in December, but despite a couple different attempts, has yet to face a ranked opponent, as bouts against Tim Elliott and Alex Perez both fell apart before they could hit the cage.
With Moreno scheduled to defend his title against Alexandre Pantoja next month and Brandon Royval seemingly positioned as the clubhouse leader for the next title opportunity after that, these two are likely competing to secure their place in the pecking order and the title conversation. Kara-France has been in this spot for some time, while Albazi finally gets the opportunity to show he belongs, which is a big piece of what makes this fight so captivating.
As good as “The Prince” has looked to start his UFC run, the only way to find out if someone is a legitimate contender is to put them in the Octagon with someone that already carries that designation.
Saturday night, we’ll find out if Albazi is up to the task or if Kara-France will get back into the win column by handing the hopeful his first UFC loss.
Other Main Card Fights
Alex Caceres vs. Daniel Pineda
Featherweight mainstays Alex Caceres and Daniel Pineda share the Octagon in what is almost guaranteed to be a thoroughly entertaining co-main event pairing for as long as it lasts.
Well over a decade into his UFC tenure, Caceres is in the best form of his career, entering Saturday’s event off a first-round stoppage win over Julian Erosa and having won six of his last seven. The rangy, dynamic Ultimate Fighter alum has finally put all the pieces together and has morphed into a dangerous veteran test on the fringes of the Top 15 in the treacherous featherweight ranks.
What can you say about a guy that has 28 wins and 28 finishes in his career? Pineda kept his perfect finishing percentage intact earlier this year with a second-round submission win over Tucker Lutz and, like Caceres, he’s been at his best during this most recent stint.
There is no way this isn’t fun and exciting from the jump.
Jim Miller vs. Jared Gordon
Jim Miller and Jared Gordon bring a combined 79 fights into the Octagon for this short notice pairing between veteran stalwarts in the lightweight division.
Even at 39 years old, Miller keeps on making the walk, adding to his UFC record for appearances and seeking to add to his all-time record for the most UFC wins, as well. Losing to Alexander Hernandez in February snapped a three-fight winning streak, and while Gordon is a late replacement for Ludovit Klein here, don’t expect that to have much impact on the ever-ready, ever-game Miller this weekend.
Gordon hustles back into action after his bout against Bobby Green in late April ended early following an accidental clash of heads. The Queens native and South Florida resident is officially 2-2 with one no contest since returning to lightweight, though debates over the scoring of his fight against Paddy Pimblett persist.
If I’m a coach, this is a fight I’m making every young fighter in my gym sit down and watch, as Miller and Gordon continue to make the absolute most of their skills and talents while giving maximum effort every time out. The veterans have been turning in quality efforts for years and it shouldn’t be any different this weekend.
Tim Elliott vs. Victor Altamirano
Saturday’s second flyweight main card matchup sees Tim Elliott step in with Dana White’s Contender Series (DWCS) graduate Victor Altamirano.
The 36-year-old Elliott returns for the first time in a little more than a year after beating Tagir Ulanbekov last March. A former title challenger and Top 15 fixture since returning to the promotion, Elliott has won three of his last four and is the most experienced, established opponent Altamirano has faced to date.
A split decision win earned Altamirano a chance to compete inside the Octagon, and a split decision loss sullied his debut, but since then, the former LFA champ has posted consecutive victories to establish his place in the 125-pound weight class. After stopping Daniel Lacerda last summer, Altamirano out-lasted Vinicius Salvador earlier this year to pick up his second straight win, earning himself this step-up in competition in the process.
Will Elliott lean on his wealth of experience and awkward style to register a second straight win or can Altamirano make it three straight and earn a place in the rankings?
Karine Silva vs. Ketlen Souza
It’s an all-Brazilian battle in the flyweight division as Karine Silva welcomes Ketlen Souza to the UFC.
Silva impressed in her DWCS showing on Season 5 and followed it up with an even better outing in her debut, where she submitted Poliana Botelho in the first round. The 29-year-old “Killer” has now won six straight overall and enters this one with a little buzz as someone that might be able to make some noise in the talent-rich division going forward.
Souza claimed the vacant Invicta FC title in her last appearance, defeating Kristina Williams by unanimous decision in January. That victory extended her winning streak to five and garnered the 27-year-old the opportunity to compete on the biggest stage in the sport.
It’ll be interesting to see how this one plays out, as both women possess clear and obvious upside in the 125-pound weight class, but only one of them will take a step forward on Saturday night.
Jamie Mullarkey vs. Guram Kutateladze
Lightweights open up the main card as Australian Jamie Mullarkey faces off with Georgia’s Guram Kutateladze.
After dropping each of his first two UFC appearances, Mullarkey has steadied himself and started moving forward in the 155-pound ranks with consecutive victories and wins in four of his last five. Finishes of Khama Worthy and Devonte Smith preceded decision nods over Michael Johnson and Francisco Prado, with a loss to Jalin Turner sandwiched in between for the Aussie, who looks to inch closer to the Top 15 with another victory here.
Availability has been the Achilles heel of Kutateladze thus far in his UFC run, as “The Georgian Viking” has fought just once since his debut split decision win over Mateusz Gamrot. That lone appearance resulted in a split decision loss to Damir Ismagulov, which further illustrates the talent Kutateladze brings to the cage…if he can get there routinely.
Can Mullarkey keep his run of form going or will Kutateladze get back into the win column?
Prelim Fights
Abubakar Nurmagomedov vs. Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos
Veteran welterweights Abubakar Nurmagomedov and Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos meet in the final preliminary card fight this weekend. The former enters on a two-fight winning streak, most recently having bested Gadzhi Omargadzhiev at UFC 280, while the latter hasn’t fought since picking up a unanimous decision win over Benoit Saint-Denis at UFC 267 the previous year.
John Castaneda vs. Muin Gafurov
Winner of two of his last three, with the only loss in that stretch being a Fight of the Night scrap with Daniel Santos last October, John Castaneda returns to face Muin Gafurov, an Octagon newcomer who is 2-0 with two knockouts since a split decision loss to Chad Anheliger on the 2021 season of DWCS.
Andrei Arlovski vs. Don’Tale Mayes
Andrei Arlovski looks to keep Jim Miller and the record for most UFC appearances in his sights as he steps win with Don’Tale Mayes on Saturday night. Arlovski, who makes his 40th UFC start this weekend, had a four-fight winning streak snapped last time out by surging Brazilian veteran Marcos Rogerio de Lima. Mayes returns after dropping a decision to Augusto Sakai in February, and is searching for his first win since beating Josh Parisian on the final card of 2021.
Daniel Santos vs. Johnny Munoz
Originally slated to open the show at UFC 288 last month in Newark, Daniel Santos now takes on Johnny Munoz here, in the middle of Saturday’s prelims. Santos earned a come-from-behind, second-round stoppage win over John Castaneda last time out, while Munoz out-hustled Liudvik Sholinian to collect his second UFC victory. Both men are action-oriented and should combine to provide an exciting battle as the evening of action progresses towards the main card.
Elise Reed vs. Jinh Yu Frey
Strawweights looking to get back into the win column share the Octagon in this one as Elise Reed faces off with Jinh Yu Frey. Reed has alternated losses and wins since entering the UFC and enters this one off a submission defeat at the hands of Loma Lookboonmee in February. The former Invicta FC atomweight champ Frey has garnered results in pairs so far through six UFC appearances, losing twice, winning twice, and then losing twice again as she readies to step in with Reed on Saturday.
Da’Mon Blackshear vs. Luan Lacerda
Da’Mon Blackshear and Luan Lacerda meet in a battle of bantamweights searching for their first UFC victory. Blackshear has gone 0-1-1 through his first two starts, battling Youssef Zalal to a draw in his short-notice debut before pushing freshman Farid Basharat hard in a losing effort last time out. Lacerda made his first appearance in the Octagon in January, losing to Cody Stamann, and looks to get back to the form that produced 10 straight victories prior to that setback.
Philipe Lins vs. Maxim Grishin
Light heavyweights open the show at the UFC APEX this weekend, as Philipe Lins takes on Maxim Grishin. Lins collected a second straight victory since returning to the division in February, blowing through Ovince Saint Preux in 49 seconds, while Grishin hasn’t fought since earning a unanimous decision win over William Knight at UFC 271. These two were scheduled to fight each other once before and should kick things off with a bang on Saturday.
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