Askar Askarov vs Kai Kara-France UFC fight info, date and time
Askar Askarov vs Kai Kara-France is set to go down at UFC Fight Night: Błachowicz vs. Rakić at 6:00pm EST on Saturday 26th March 2022 in a 125lbs matchup.
Askar Askarov is unbeaten as a pro. The Russian defeated Joseph Benavidez in his last UFC appearance in March 2021.
Kai Kara-France earned the biggest win in his career with a showstopping knockout against former Bantamweight champion, Cody Garbrandt.
Askar Askarov vs Kai Kara-France betting odds
Askar Askarov opens as the heavy favorite with betting odds of -300.
Kai Kara-France is the betting underdog with opening odds of +255.
Fight information
Askar Askarov vs Kai Kara-France was first reported on December 25th, 2021.
Askar Askarov will fight Kai Kara-France at #UFCColumbus on March 26th. (per @MMAjunkie) #UFC #MMA #UFCESPN pic.twitter.com/iwxGDnKdF5
— Marcel Dorff 🇳🇱🇮🇩 (@BigMarcel24) December 25, 2021
This fight came about after Askarov responded to Kai Kara-France’s call for a title shot by suggesting a title eliminator bout between the two.
Askar Askarov
Askar Askarov has won three-in-a-row after a draw against former champion Brandon Moreno in his UFC debut.
They're trading in RD 2 but @Askar_MMA connects clean 💥 #UFC259 pic.twitter.com/AQpgiDbjPU
— UFC (@ufc) March 7, 2021
Askarov has never lost as a professional and has dominated his last three fights in the UFC, winning each by unanimous decision.
Kai Kara-France
Kai Kara-France is on a two-fight finishing streak after successive first-round knockouts against Cody Garbrandt and Rogerio Bontorin.
DON'T BLINK 👀
— UFC (@ufc) December 12, 2021
[ @KaiKaraFrance | #UFC269 ] pic.twitter.com/D3gP2juBmV
The New Zealander is now ranked #6 in the Flyweight Division. His last defeat came against Brandon Royval in 2020.
How they match up
Both of these fighters are well-matched in terms of their height and reach. Askar Askarov is one year older than his opponent at 29.
Despite being of a similar age, Kai Kara-France has much more professional MMA experience. Kara-France has 32 pro fights, while Askarov has fought 15 times.
Reasons to watch
Kai Kara-France has proven himself as one of the most exciting fighters in the Flyweight Division. He comes up against an undefeated phenom in the form of Askar Askarov. This will be an extremely high-level MMA matchup between two guys at the top of their game.
WHAT IS HAPPENING!? 🤯
— UFC (@ufc) March 7, 2021
🇳🇿 @KaiKaraFrance just delivered with one heck of a comeback!
[ LIVE on @UFCFightPass, ESPN2, #ESPNPlus ] pic.twitter.com/Gn2zS6f2Ap
The stakes
The stakes couldn’t be higher in this Flyweight matchup. This is essentially a No.1 contender fight, so the winner will almost certainly get a shot at the belt next.
Askar Askarov vs Kai Kara-France predictions
The bookmakers’ predictions have Askar Askarov as the clear favorite with opening odds of -300.
Askar Askarov vs Kai Kara-France picks
Get your Askar Askarov vs Kai Kara-France picks in.
Askar Askarov vs Kai Kara-France tale of the tape
- 1 year age gap: Kara-France is the younger fighter at 28 years old.
- Askarov has a slight 1 inch reach advantage.
- Significant experience difference: Kara-France has 20 more professional MMA fights than Askarov.
| Askar Askarov | vs | Kai Kara-France |
|---|---|---|
| 29 | Age | 28 |
| 15 | Fights | 35 |
| 14 | Wins | 23 |
| Losses | 9 | |
| 4 | KO’s | 12 |
| 7 | Subs | 3 |
| 5′ 5 | Height (in) | 5′ 4 |
| 67 | Reach (in) | 66.5 |
MMA record breakdown: Common opponents for Kai Kara-France and Askar Askarov
The two fighters share 2 common opponents throughout their professional careers; Brandon Moreno and Alexandre Pantoja.
Askar Askarov has the better record against the shared opposition, at 1-0 to Kai Kara-France’s record of 0-2
| Brandon Moreno vs Kai Kara-France and Askar Askarov | ||
|---|---|---|
Kai Kara-France Loss • Decision R3 5:00 |
vs. Brandon Moreno
| Askar Askarov Draw • Decision R3 5:00 |
| Alexandre Pantoja vs Kai Kara-France and Askar Askarov | ||
|---|---|---|
Kai Kara-France Loss • Decision R2 5:00 |
vs. Alexandre Pantoja
| Askar Askarov Win • Decision R3 5:00 |
Kai “Don’t Blink” Kara-France fighter profile and recent form
Kai Kara-France is a 28 year old male fighter from New Zealand with 23 pro wins and 9 losses. See Kai Kara-France’s full MMA record.
Kai Kara-France has a 61% finish rate, including 12 by knockout, 3 by submission, 9 by decision.
Kai Kara-France is currently riding a 2 fight win streak.
Last 5 bouts
| Result | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Weight class | Org |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Win |
22-9-0 | Cody Garbrandt |
KO/TKO
R1 3:21
|
UFC 269 | 2021-12-11 | Flyweight | UFC |
|
Win |
21-9-0 | Rogério Bontorin |
KO/TKO
R1 4:55
|
UFC 259 | 2021-03-06 | Flyweight | UFC |
|
Loss |
21-8-0 | Brandon Royval |
SUB
R2 0:48
|
UFC 253 | 2020-09-26 | Flyweight | UFC |
|
Win |
20-8-0 | Tyson Nam |
DEC
R3 5:00
|
UFC on ESPN+ 26 | 2020-02-22 | Flyweight | UFC |
|
Loss |
20-7-0 | Brandon Moreno |
DEC
R3 5:00
|
UFC 245 | 2019-12-14 | Flyweight | UFC |
Askar “Bullet” Askarov fighter profile and recent form
Askar Askarov is a 29 year old male fighter from Russia with 14 pro wins and losses. See Askar Askarov’s full MMA record.
Askar Askarov has a 79% finish rate, including 4 by knockout, 7 by submission, 3 by decision.
Askar Askarov is currently riding a 3 fight win streak.
Last 5 bouts
| Result | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Weight class | Org |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Win |
13-0-1 | Joseph Benavidez |
DEC
R3 5:00
|
UFC 259 | 2021-03-06 | Flyweight | UFC |
|
Win |
12-0-1 | Alexandre Pantoja |
DEC
R3 5:00
|
UFC Fight Night | 2020-07-18 | Flyweight | UFC |
|
Win |
11-0-1 | Tim Elliott |
DEC
R3 5:00
|
UFC 246 | 2020-01-18 | Flyweight | UFC |
|
Draw |
11-0-0 | Brandon Moreno |
DEC
R3 5:00
|
UFC on ESPN+ 17 | 2019-09-21 | Flyweight | UFC |
|
Win |
10-0-0 | Rasul Albaskhanov |
SUB
R2 1:59
|
ACB 86 | 2018-05-05 | Flyweight | ACB |
Who is fighting tonight in the UFC?
Askar Askarov vs Kai Kara-France is set to go down at UFC Fight Night – Błachowicz vs. Rakić. The fight is expected to start at around 6:00pm EST on Saturday 26th March 2022.
How to watch the Askar Askarov vs Kai Kara-France fight with online UFC streaming
ESPN+ is the best option to live stream Askar Askarov vs Kai Kara-France if you live in the United States. Outside of the USA, the best option is to register for UFC Fight Pass.
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