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Last night’s UFC event is in the bag, and contenders and veterans in the flyweight, lightweight, and featherweight divisions all picked up big wins.
What is next for the fighters who starred at UFC Fight Night: Kai Kara-France vs. Amir Albazi last night? As always, the matchmakers have their hands full.
Thankfully, for at least a handful of last night’s fighters, their paths – and next opponents – feel pretty logical.
Here are five fights to make after UFC Fight Night: Kai Kara-France vs. Amir Albazi.
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#5. UFC flyweight bout: Kai Kara-France vs. Tim Elliott
Kai Kara-France came up short in his headline bout with Amir Albazi last night. Given the controversy around the decision, it must be tempting for the UFC to simply book a rematch.
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However, it’s probably a better idea to let Albazi move up the ladder, and so Kara-France ought to be looking for a bounce-back fight. After all, ‘Don’t Blink’ is now on a two-fight skid and hasn’t won in over a year.
One potential opponent for him, then, could be former title challenger Tim Elliott. He won his fight last night, smothering Victor Altamirano for a unanimous decision.
Sure, a win over Elliott wouldn’t move Kara-France back up the ladder, but it’d allow him to regain some confidence that he may have lost. Elliott would also likely test his ground game, something he had issues with against Albazi last night.
‘Don’t Blink’ could argue for a higher-ranked opponent next, but this is a fight that could make sense for him right now.
#4. UFC flyweight bout: Karine Silva vs. Andrea Lee
Flyweight prospect Karine Silva produced a truly nasty finish last night. In under two minutes, she appeared to pop opponent Ketlen Souza’s knee with a vicious submission hold that began as an ankle lock variant.
The win was Silva’s second inside the UFC and 16th in her overall career. More importantly, ‘Killer’ has still not been the distance in any of her victories.
Based on what we’ve seen of her so far, it’s time for the promotion to push her into a fight with a ranked opponent, and so one foe that could work is Andrea Lee.
‘KGB’ is ranked at No.13 in the division, but has lost her last two fights, albeit via close decisions.
Lee is a veteran who has been around for years, with ten bouts in the octagon to her name. She’s also a well-rounded fighter with skills in all areas and no clear-cut weaknesses.
Therefore, she’d provide Silva with a real test – and if ‘Killer’ could pass it, then it’d be hard not to see her as a threat to the women’s flyweight title.
#3. UFC lightweight bout: Jim Miller vs. Carlos Diego Ferreira
Jim Miller not only won his 43rd bout in the UFC last night, he also did it in style. The New Jersey-based native needed just 23 seconds to knock out late replacement Jesse Butler, meaning that he could return to action sooner rather than later.
Who could make a good opponent for him next, then? One option for the promotion could be to re-book his cancelled fight with Jared Gordon.
However, they may be put off this by the fact that ‘Flash’ apparently angered Dana White with his last-minute withdrawal this weekend.
Therefore, why not match Miller with Carlos Diego Ferreira, who knocked out Michael Johnson last month?
This is a fight that should make sense. Ferreira is 38 years old, meaning he’s past his athletic prime, and he’s also a similar fighter to Miller, possessing slick grappling skills to go with some knockout power.
At this stage in Miller’s career, it’s probably more about finding him fun opponents than it is about winning, and this potential clash with Ferreira would definitely be fun. Therefore, the matchmakers should definitely consider it.
#2. UFC featherweight bout: Alex Caceres vs. Jack Shore
One ranked fighter who picked up a win last night was No.15 featherweight Alex Caceres. He produced a strong showing to edge out Daniel Pineda, claiming a $50k bonus for the Fight of the Night in the process.
Caceres has been around the UFC for a remarkably long time now, having debuted in the octagon way back in 2010. Despite this, he doesn’t seem to be past his prime, and is definitely a valuable gatekeeper at 145lbs.
With that considered, the matchmakers ought to look at pairing him with a rising prospect. One name that comes to mind, then, is Jack Shore.
The Welsh fighter looked to be climbing into contention at 135 lbs, but after a loss to Ricky Simon, he has moved up to 145 lbs and made a successful featherweight debut in March.
With all of his experience, ‘Bruce Leeroy’ would definitely hope to test Shore, but ‘Tank’ would be hopeful of stealing his ranking.
Overall, this would be a fight pitting two well-rounded athletes against one another, and it’d be well worth booking.
#1. UFC flyweight bout: Amir Albazi vs. Brandon Royval
The fighter who picked up the biggest win last night was Amir Albazi. The flyweight contender edged out Kai Kara-France after a semi-controversial judging call, claiming a split decision over ‘Don’t Blink’.
Afterwards, ‘The Prince’ stated that he wants a shot at the UFC flyweight title, and based on his five wins in the octagon, it might be fair for him to be given that shot.
However, reigning champion Brandon Moreno has his hands full with Alexandre Pantoja in July first, and the winner may not be ready to fight again until 2024.
With that considered, then the best path for Albazi could be a #1 contender’s bout with No.4 ranked Brandon Royval, who he was set to fight last December before the clash was scrapped.
‘Raw Dawg’ is 5-2 in the octagon, holds a submission win over Kara-France, and has only ever lost to Moreno and Pantoja. He’s a well-rounded fighter with a killer instinct and no true weaknesses.
Given Albazi’s current form, it’d be difficult to pick a winner if this fight were signed, and the victor would definitely warrant a title shot.
