UFC Rankings Update: Amir Albazi climbs 4 spots in flyweight after close split decision win over Kai Kara-France
Amir Albazi took on Kai Kara-France in the main event at UFC Vegas 74 on Saturday. 'The Prince' edged out a controversial split decision win over Kara-France which saw him take a significant leap in the updated UFC official rankings.
Albazi made a steep climb of four spots to take 'Don't Blink's No.3 position on the flyweight ladder. Meanwhile, Kara-France dropped two places to No.5, further lessening his chances of title contention which were already questionable considering his two previous losses to flyweight champ Brandon Moreno.
Amir Albazi and Kai Kara-France were neck and neck throughout the fight, each clearly dominating different aspects of the game. While 'Don't Blink' out-landed Albazi 99 to 43 in terms of significant strikes, the Iraqi recorded over six minutes of ground control time.
#UFCVegas74 Official Scorecard: Kai Kara-France vs Amir Albazi (@AmirAlbazi)
All Tonight's Scorecards: ufc.ac/3WOKitE https://t.co/Luk9grt8Vc
Judges Chris Lee and Sal D'Amato had Albazi winning three rounds out of five while the dissenting judge Mike Bell gave three rounds to Kai Kara-France. The Kiwi's teammate from CKB, middleweight champ Israel Adesanya, went on a Twitter rant, ripping into judges Lee and D'Amato for the questionable scoring.
While Matheus Nicolau and Alex Perez also dropped a place each on the flyweight ladder, the UFC official rankings otherwise remain unaffected by Saturday's card.
Kai Kara-France reacts to his loss against Amir Albazi
Kai Kara-France's teammate Israel Adesanya avenged three previous losses against Alex Pereira with a fairytale-ending KO win at UFC 287 earlier this year. It was an important lesson in fighting back for 'Don't Blink' who was also coming off his second loss to Brandon Moreno.
Having now dropped another one against Amir Albazi, Kara-France seemingly hasn't lost his competitive spirit. The Kiwi certainly knows how to take one on the chin judging by his demeanor after the fight. Soon after the controversial decision, 'Don't Blink' said in an interview with ESPN MMA:
"This is the sport at the highest level. It’s a game of inches and I know I’ve said that before but it’s subjective to what the judges are scoring. If they’re scoring damage, if they’re scoring control, aggression, all of these things. I was feeling confident when they were calling the announcement but hats off to Amir. I’m not going to be one to dwell on it.”
Catch Kara-France's comments below: