'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
At UFC 277, Brandon Moreno will once again take on Kai Kara-France. This time, the bout will be for the UFC interim flyweight title. In their first meeting, it was Moreno who came out on top after three rounds of fighting.
All three judges scored the bout in favor of the Mexican, with two edging 29-28 to the Mexican and one 30-27. The fight was not only close on the scorecards, but also the striking statistics, with the New Zealander only landing nine fewer punches than Moreno, who landed 91 in total.
Trending
It was solely striking exchanges that determined the result in the judges' eyes, with neither fighter attempting a takedown. Kara-France got the better of the Mexican on the feet in the first round in terms of numbers, which was the only round that two of the judges gave to the New Zealand native.
Get the latest updates on One Championship Rankings at Sportskeeda and more
However, the margins were still close, with the New Zealander landing 29 punches during the opening round compared to Moreno's 27.
Brandon Moreno then outlanded Kara-France by six strikes in the second round and five strikes in the last round. The second frame was Kara-France's worst for striking numbers, with him landing just 24 times. The New Zealander connected with another 29 strikes in the final five minutes.
Kai Kara-France's striking was much more mixed, with 'Don't Blink' focusing 12% of his strikes on the Mexican's body and 18% on the legs.
A staggering 85% of Moreno's strikes were aimed at Kara-France's head, and just 1% of his attacks focused on the legs. With the rematch taking place over five rounds, the New Zealander's leg and body strikes might give him the edge in the later frames.
Why does the winner of Brandon Moreno vs. Kai Kara-France 2 become interim champion?
The winner of Brandon Moreno vs. Kai Kara-France 2 will be crowned the interim UFC flyweight champion after this weekend's UFC 277 co-main event.
This is due to current champion Deiveson Figueiredo being sidelined due to hand injuries. The Brazilian is currently recovering, making it impossible for him to defend his belt until later this year.
However, the flyweight champion has made no secret of his displeasure towards the UFC after they booked Moreno vs. Kara-France 2. Figueiredo called the interim title a "plastic belt," and even threatened to leave the division due to the UFC not giving him enough time to recover and defend his belt properly.
