Kara-France v Albazi UFC betting picks – June 3, 2023

This Saturday’s UFC Fight Night from the Apex in Las Vegas pits Kai Kara-France against Amir Albazi – a pair of top-10 flyweight contenders – in a razor-tight contest.

While only one year older, Kara-France will enjoy a significant edge in experience over relative newcomer Albazi, who has shown he might be ready to tackle the division’s top level.

UFC Fight Night: Kara-France v Albazi main event preview

Kai Kara-France vs Amir Albazi

Kai Kara-France (24-10-0) is the No.3-ranked UFC flyweight. He boasts a solid recent record, with two of his losses since 2019 coming to current champion Brandon Moreno. The only other defeat during this period was a submission loss to Brandon Royval. Excluding opponents named Brandon, Kara-France is 12-0 since March 2017.

The Kiwi had Moreno in trouble during their most recent encounter when they squared off for the interim belt in July 2022. Kara-France ultimately succumbed to a crushing body kick and follow-up strikes in the third round, but he had opportunities to end the contest in the opening minutes. Kara-France is a technically sound fighter who trains at City Kickboxing alongside reigning UFC champions Israel Adesanya and Alexander Volkanovski. His major weakness can be a tendency to get a little reckless in the heat of battle.

With the losses to Moreno on his record, Kara-France might struggle to get another shot at the title in the near future and may need to play gatekeeper for a while until an opportunity appears at the top of the division. By fighting a lower-ranked opponent here, Kara-France can earn a nice payday and show off his skills but cannot progress toward another chance at UFC gold.

Amir Albazi (16-1-0) is the No.7-ranked flyweight and is 4-0 since signing with the UFC in July 2020. He combines knockout power with an excellent ground game and has chalked up nine submission wins as a professional. Albazi fled Iraq as a child and settled in Sweden before finding his way to London, where he currently lives and trains. Three of his UFC wins have come via stoppage, and he looks ready to face stiffer competition.

Albazi is yet to square off against an opponent with Kara-France’s experience and skillset, so this will be a good test for the upcoming talent. The Londoner has shown patience in his last two wins and should relish the opportunity to learn from this matchup. He will be keen to take Kara-France to the mat, but this may only be possible after respect has been earned in the standup exchanges.

Kara-France v Albazi UFC betting predictions

This is a great contest on paper between a 34-fight veteran and a less experienced yet highly talented opponent. Kara-France is a deserving favourite based on his performances against the current undisputed champion, so we are obliged to back him at the nice odds on offer with the top UFC betting sites.

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