USADA sample count for UFC Vegas 74 headliners Kai Kara-France and Amir Albazi: How many times have the fighters been tested?
Kai Kara-France and Amir Albazi submitted a similar amount of USADA tests in the first half of 2023.
On June 3, the UFC Vegas 74 main event will feature top-ten-ranked flyweights. Ahead of the intriguing matchup, Jed I. Goodman reviewed the USADA drug tests completed by Kara-France and Albazi.
Kara-France has been tested from 2018 to 2023, while Albazi’s was tested from 2020-2023. During the overlapping years, ‘Don’t Blink’ endured eight more drug tests, with both fighters maintaining a 100% passing rate. Throughout the first six months of this year, the New Zealand-born fighter has passed two tests, and ‘The Prince’ passed three.
Kai Kara-France, the number three-ranked UFC flyweight, last fought in July 2022, losing an interim UFC flyweight title fight against Brandon Moreno. Before losing against Moreno, ‘Don't Blink’ was riding a three-fight win streak by taking out Rogerio Bontorin, Cody Garbrandt, and Askar Askarov. He now looks to get back on track in the UFC Vegas 74 main event.
Meanwhile, Amir Albazi, ranked number seven, is riding a four-fight winning streak since making his UFC debut in July 2020. The 29-year-old has endured an abundance of fight cancellations from a few injuries and his opponents pulling out. Whenever ‘The Prince’ does step into the Octagon, he continues to show improvement.
Albazi is coming off a third-round knockout against Alessandro Costa in December 2022.
As of May 25, USADA sample count for the #UFCVegas74 main event
Kai Kara-France Total 54 (Listed as 44)
2023 2
2022 14
2021 12
2020 11
2019 14
2018 1
Amir Y Albazi Total 33 (Listed as 21)
2023 3
2022 12
2021 8
2020 10
What’s at stake between Kai Kara-France and Amir Albazi in the UFC Vegas 74 main event?
On July 8, Brandon Moreno looks to defend the UFC flyweight championship against Alexandre Pantoja. After the two elite 125-pounders fight for the throne, it’s unclear who will be the next title challenger.
Manel Kape vs. Deiveson Figueiredo was a potential number-one contender bout, but the latter pulled out after not being medically cleared.
As a result, Kai Kara-France and Amir Albazi will likely be fighting for the opportunity to compete in a number-one contender bout. With that said, UFC title shots can be unpredictable, so anything is possible for the winner of Kara-France vs. Albazi.
The high-stakes flyweight bout isn’t the only intriguing matchup of UFC Vegas 74. In the co-main event, Alex Caceres and Daniel Pineda go toe-to-toe in a featherweight bout with the potential of stealing the show.