LAS VEGAS – UFC on ESPN 45 takes place Saturday, and you can join us for live play-by-play and official results.
UFC on ESPN 45 takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The card airs on ESPN and streams on ESPN+.
In the main event, Kai Kara-France (24-10 MMA, 7-3 UFC) will try to bounce back into contention after an interim flyweight title loss to Brandon Moreno in July 2022 when he meets Amir Albazi (16-1 MMA, 4-0 UFC), who has yet to lose in the UFC. In the co-feature, Alex Caceres (20-13 MMA, 15-11 UFC), has won six of his past seven fights, meets Daniel Pineda (28-14 MMA, 5-5 UFC) in a featherweight bout.
Follow along with our round-by-round updates and official results beginning at approximately 6 p.m. ET for the prelims and 9 p.m. ET for the main card on ESPN and ESPN+.
To discuss the show, be sure to check out our UFC on ESPN 45 discussion thread. You can also get behind-the-scenes coverage and other event notes from on-site reporter Ken Hathaway (@kenshathaway ) on Twitter.
Enjoy the fights, everyone.
Maxim Grishin vs. Philipe Lins
Round 1 – Big shots early, but nothing landing clean. Grishin pressures Lins against the cage, but he gets reversed and now it’s Lins pressing. Lins looking for a takedown, but Grishin defending well. Thet break free. Big leg kicks by Lins. Big combo by Lins topped with an uppercut! Grishin seemed stunned, but Lins immediately presses him against the cage. Grishin gets free. Spinning elbow by Grishin! Lins eats it well and counters with a right hand. The bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Lins.
Round 2 – Good right hand by Lins to get things started. And a leg kick by Lins. Lins pressures Grishin and presses him against the cage. Good knees to the body by Lins. Lins working hard for the takedown, but Grishin defending well. Three minutes left. Big elbow by Grishin backs Lins. Lins now counters with a couple of hard hooks. Nasty body kick by Grishin. Lins pins Grishin against the cage. Grishin reverses the position, and they break free shortly after. Less than a minute left. Good right hook by Lins. Heavy body kick by Lins. The bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Lins.
Round 3 – Big shots early here by Lins! What a chin on Grishin. Lins back to closing the distance and pressing Grishin against the cage. Grishin briefly gets free, but gets pressed against the cage again. Lins controlling Grishin, but with no damage. Three minutes left. Lins controlling. Good elbow by Grishin. Lins answers back with a combo and presses Grishin against the cage again. Relentless pressure by Lins. Grishin breaks free. Good leg kick by Lins. Nasty body kick by Grishin. Lins backs him against the cage again. One minute left. Grishin showing good takedown defence, but not good at getting his back off against the cage and out of the clinch. Lins still pressing Grishin. The bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Lins. Overall 30-27, Lins.
Result: Phillipe Lins def. Maxim Grishin via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
Photos: UFC on ESPN 45: Best photos from Las Vegas
Records: Philipe Lins (17-5 MMA, 3-2 UFC), Maxim Grishin (32-10-2 MMA, 2-3 UFC)
Division: Light heavyweight
Broadcast: ESPN/ESPN+
Referee: Dan Miragliotta
Judging: Derek Cleary, Mike Bell 29-28. Adalaide Byrd 30-27.
Da'Mon Blackshear vs. Luan Lacerda
Round 1 – Both fighters testing each other range here. Big right hook by Lacerda. Blackshear immediately closes the distance and presses Lacerda against the cage. Knees to the legs here by Blackshear. And Blackshear gets the takedown, but Lacerda immediately attacks the leg. He’s working for a knee bar. Blackshear defending well. It looks tight! Lacerda has the knee bar. Blackshear slips out and gets back to his feet. Lacerda pressuring now with the striking. Good takedown by Blackshear. One minute left. Lacerda back to the feet almosy immediately. Good right by Blackshear. And a jab by Blackshear. Lacerda goes for a takedown, and gets it in the final seconds. The bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Blackshear.
Round 2 – Good shots early here by Blackshear. Lacerda is walking down Blackshear, but the better striking so far is coming from Blackshear. Good body shots by Lacerda. Lacerda with non-stop pressure. Lacerda goes for the takedown but fails and Blackshear ends up on top of him. Lacerda back at hunting for a leg lock. So far, Blackshear is defeding well while landing some ground-and-pound. Lacerda relentless with this leg attack. Big shots from Blackshear. They’re adding up. And it’s over! The referee stops the bout. Solid win by Blackshear
Result: Da’Mon Blackshear def. Luan Lacerda via TKO (ground-and-pound) – Round 2, 3:54.
Photos: UFC on ESPN 45: Best photos from Las Vegas
Records: Da’Mon Blackshear (13-5-1 MMA, 1-1-1 UFC), Luan Lacerda (12-3 MMA, 0-2 UFC)
Division: Bantamweight
Broadcast: ESPN/ESPN+
Referee: Chris Tognoni
Jinh Yu Frey vs. Elise Reed
Round 1 – Frey closes the distance early and gets a nice judo throw. She’s now working from half guard. Frey now in guard and landing ground-and-pound. Oh! Reed goes for an omoplata. Frey gets out and they’re back standing. Reed had landed some solid shots from bottom and Frey has some damage on her face. Frey shoots and gets the takedown, but Reed gets up quickly. Back to striking range. Big left hook by Frey. They briefly clinch and Frey lands another big left hook on the break. Good jabs by Frey. The bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Frey.
Round 2 – Good leg kicks to start here by Reed. Frey pressing Reed here. Reed landing good shots from the outside, but nothing big. She closes the distance and gets the takedown. Both fighters landing ground-and-pound – Frey from top and Reed from bottom. Two minutes left. Frey unable to pass Reed’s guard. Good shots from Frey. Reed gets up and begins pressing Frey. She presses Frey against the cage. The bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Frey.
Round 3 – Reed closes the distance and presses Frey against the cage. Frey breaks free, and they go back to striking range. Frey now presses Reed. They break free. Good leg kick by Reed. And a good right hand by Reed. She seems to be more active here. One, two by Frey. Reed stepping up here. Good combo by Reed. She has Frey backing up. Oh! Big counter right hook by Frey. One minute left. Frey attempts a takedown, but comes up short. The bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Reed. Overall 29-28, Frey.
Result: Elise Reed def. Jinh Yu Frey via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Photos: UFC on ESPN 45: Best photos from Las Vegas
Records: Elise Reed (7-3 MMA, 3-3 UFC), Jinh Yu Frey (11-9 MMA, 2-5 UFC)
Division: Women’s strawweight
Broadcast: ESPN/ESPN+
Referee: Mark Smith
Judging: Bryan Miner, Ron McCarthy, Mike Bell 29-28.
Jamie Mullarkey vs. Muhammad Naimov
Round 1 – Good leg kicks here by Mullarkey. He’s walking down Naimov. Good body shot by Mullarkey. Mullarkey briefly presses Naimov against the cage, but he gets free. Good right had by Mullarkey. Naimov hasn’t been able to do much. Mullarkey closes the distance again and presses Naimov against the cage. Two minutes left. Good uppercut and jab by Naimov as he breaks free from a clinch. Good jabs by Mullarkey. The bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Mullarkey.
Round 2 – A low blow from Naimov stops the fight. After a few seconds, it resumes. Good leg kick by Mullarkey. He’s not badly hurting Naimov, but clearly ahead on the feet. Good leg kicks by Naimov. Oh! Nasty spinning body kick by Naimov. Mullarkey immediately. goes for a takedown and gets it, but Naimov gets back to his feet. Mullarkey pressing Naimov against the cage. Short right hands by Mullarkey as they break from the clinch. Nasty combo by Naimov. Oh! It’s over. Naimov floors Mullarkey with a nasty right hook. What a shot!
Result: Muhammad Naimov def. Jamie Mullarkey via TKO (punch) – Round 2, 2:59.
Recap: Muhammad Naimov upsets Jamie Mullarkey by TKO, warns featherweights
Photos: UFC on ESPN 45: Best photos from Las Vegas
Records: Muhammad Naimov (9-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC), Jamie Mullarkey (16-6 MMA, 4-4 UFC)
Division: Lightweight
Broadcast: ESPN/ESPN+
Referee: Herb Dean
John Castaneda vs. Muin Gafurov
Round 1 – Castaneda kicks things off with leg kicks and plenty of movement. Gafurov shoots for a takedown, but Castaneda defends well and keep the fight on the feet. Good leg kick by Castaneda. And a nasty body kick by Gafurov. Wheel kick lands on Castaneda’s guard from Gafurov. Gafurov very dynamic here. Relentless pressure and output by Gafurov. Good leg kicks by Castaneda. Oh! Castaneda with a nasty head kick drops Gafurov. Castaneda is now on top, but Gafurov doing a good job at tying him up and minimizing damage. One minute left. Crazy scrambles on the ground. Back to the feet. Bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Castaneda.
Round 2 – Gafurov comes out aggressive, putting Castaneda on the back heel. What a pace. Hard leg kick from Gafurov buckles Castaneda. Castaneda gets a takedown and gets Gafurov’s back. Gafurov gets out! They’re brawling! What a fight! The referee pauses the bout after a clash of heads. One point is deducted from Gafurov. Head kick by Castaneda, but Gafurov catches it and takes him down by the cage. Castaneda gets back up immediately, but is now being pressed against the cage. Two minutes left. Castaneda ends on bottom after attempting a scramble. He eventually gets back up. Castaneda now pressing. He shoots for a takedown, but fails to get it before the bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 9-9.
Round 3 – What a crazy fight. Gafurov again with ridiculous pressure. The two trade straight punches. Castaneda presses Gafurov against the cage, but they break away. Now it’s Castaneda the one doing most of the pressing. Insane pace here. Gafurov shoots for a takedown and fails. Castaneda presses him against the cage and actually gets the takedown. Two minutes left. Good control here by Castaneda. Gafuriv back up but still getting controlled gainst the cage. Castaneda is all over him. And there’s the takedown for Castaneda. The bell rings. Castaneda ends on top.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Castaneda. Overall 29-27, Castaneda.
Result: John Castaneda def. Muin Gafurov via unanimous decision (29-27, 29-27, 29-27)
Photos: UFC on ESPN 45: Best photos from Las Vegas
Records: John Castaneda (20-6 MMA, 3-2 UFC), Muin Gafurov (18-5 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
Division: Bantamweight
Broadcast: ESPN/ESPN+
Referee: Chris Tognoni
Judging: Tony Weeks, Chris Lee, Junichiro Kamijo 29-27.
Andrei Arlovski vs. Don'Tale Mayes
Round 1 – These two swinging big early. Arlovski staying at distance looking to pick apart Mayes. Mayes seems to be looking for that one big shot. Good movement here by Arlovski. Arlovski with a nice body shot. Slow paced fight here. Three minutes left. Mayes swinging big but missing a lot. Clean right hand by Arlovski. Arlovski pressuring a bit more here. Mayes almost gets a takedown in the final seconds here. Oh! Mayes wobbles Arlovski a bit right before the bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Arlovski.
Round 2 – An early clash of head here halts the fight. After a few seconds, it resumes. Good leg kick by Arlovski. Arlovski landing more often here, but Mayes seems more capable of damage despite not landing much. Three minutes left. One, two lands clean for Arlovski. A couple of hooks land for Arlovski. Oh huge counter right hand by Mayes! It’s over! What a shot!
Result: Don’Tale Mayes def. Andrei Arlovski via TKO (punch) – Round 2, 3:17.
Recap: Don’Tale Mayes spoils Andrei Arlovski’s 40th UFC fight with TKO
Photos: UFC on ESPN 45: Best photos from Las Vegas
Records: Don’Tale Mayes (10-5 MMA, 3-3 UFC), Andrei Arlovski (34-22 MMA, 23-17 UFC)
Division: Heavyweight
Broadcast: ESPN/ESPN+
Referee: Mark Smith
Johnny Munoz vs. Daniel Santos
Round 1 – Oh no! A big low blow from Santos puts down Munoz. The fight is paused. The fight resumes after a couple of minutes. They exchange big and Munoz presses Santos against the cage. Munoz pulls guard. Munoz keeping busy! Armbar attempt! Now triangle! Santos with good defense gets out and begins to kick a downed Munoz. Spinning kick to the body by Santos. Now it’s Munoz who lands a low blow and the fight is paused. After about 30 seconds, the fight resumes. Both guys connecting. Two minutes left. Munoz pulls guard again. Santos back to the feet. They scramble and Munoz ends up pulling guard again. One minute left. Not much going on. Santos gets back up and the bell rings shortly after.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Santos.
Round 2 – Santos pressures hard here and gets clinched up by Munoz. Munoz pulls guard. Shots from Santos. More shots from Santos. Munoz has a closed guard and not really attempting submissions. Santos gets up and starts kicking the legs of a downed Munoz. Santos dives back into the guard and begins landing ground-and-pound. Big shots from Santos. Two minutes left. Munoz face is a bit bloodied. Santos gets back up and starts kicking Munoz’s legs. He lets him back up. Munoz immediately shoots for a takedown, comes up short, and pulls guard again. They stand back up. Good kicks by Santos. Santos takes down Munoz and the bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Santos.
Round 3 – Man, another low blow. This time, Santos connects on Munoz. Munoz taking his time. After three minutes, the fight resumes and a point is taken from Santos. Santos comes out aggressive, connects with a body kick and then takes down Munoz. Good ground-and-pound by Munoz. They get back up and Munoz almost connects with a flying knee! Now guillotine attempt by Munoz, but Santos gets out. Good shots from top by Santos. Two minutes left. They scramble and Munoz reverses the position. Munoz gets reversed again and now Santos is on top. Santos gets up and kicks Munoz’s legs. The bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 9-9. Overall 29-27, Santos.
Result: Daniel Santos def. Johnny Munoz via unanimous decision (29-27, 29-27, 29-27)
Photos: UFC on ESPN 45: Best photos from Las Vegas
Records: Daniel Santos (11-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC), Johnny Munoz (12-3 MMA, 2-3 UFC)
Division: Bantamaweight
Broadcast: ESPN/ESPN+
Referee: Herb Dean
Judging: Tony Weeks, Chris Lee, Sal D’Amato 29-27.
Abubakar Nurmagomedov vs. Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos
Round 1 – Dos Santos comes out pressing Nurmagomedov. And Nurmagomedov connects with a big right hook early and backs dos Santos. Nurmagomedov now pressing dos Santos against the cage and landing knees to the thighs. Constant pressure here by Nurmagomedov. Nasty elbow by Nurmagomedov. Dos Santos defending the takedown well, but unable to escape the clinch. After a few mins, referee re-starts them on the feet. Dos Santos throwing heat! One minute left. Good knee by dos Santos. Nurmagomedov eats a head kick. The bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Nurmagomedov.
Round 2 – Nasty leg kicks here by dos Santos. Another one. And another one. Huge uppercut by dos Santos and then they clinch. Dos Santos is able to break free almost immediately. Another leg kick by dos Santos. Nurmagomedov closes the distance and pins dos Santos against the cage. Three minutes left. Not much damage here, just control from Nurmagomedov. Two minutes left. Dos Santos breaks free. 90 seconds left. Good leg kicks by dos Santos. Jab by dos Santos. Nurmagomedov clinches dos Santos and gets a foot sweep in the final seconds. He ends on top.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, dos Santos.
Round 3 – Close fight here. Again, dos Santos working the leg kicks. Again and again. Big leg kicks by dos Santos. Nurmagomedov with his own leg kick. Nurmagomedov closes the distance and tries to pin dos Santos against the cage, but he breaks free quickly. Big right hand by dos Santos. Three minutes left. Another right hand by dos Santos. Nurmagomedov unable to hold dos Santos against the cage despite multiple attempts. Oh! Two big knees to the head by dos Santos from the clinch. Nurmagomedov shoots and fails. Dos Santos was looking for an anaconda choke from sprawl position, but Nurmagomedov reverses it, briefly takes his back while standing, and now presses him against the cage. They brawl it out in the final seconds.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, dos Santos. Overall 29-28, dos Santos.
Result: Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos def. Abubakar Nurmagomedov via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Photos: UFC on ESPN 45: Best photos from Las Vegas
Records: Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos (24-7 MMA, 10-3 UFC), Abubakar Nurmagomedov (17-4-1 MMA, 2-2 UFC)
Division: Welterweight
Broadcast: ESPN/ESPN+
Referee: Dan Miragliotta
Judging: Bryan Miner, Ron McCarthy 29-28. Derek Cleary 28-29.
Karine Silva vs. Ketlen Souza
Round 1 – Silva attacking the legs early. She closes the distance and takes down Souza with ease. Some heavy shots from Silva. Now Silva sits back for an ankle lock! There’s the tap! That was quick!
Result: Karine Silva def. Ketlen Souza via submission (kneebar) – Round 1, 1:45
Recap: Karine Silva pops Ketlen Souza’s knee with first-round submission
Photos: UFC on ESPN 45: Best photos from Las Vegas
Records: Karine Silva (16-4 MMA, 2-0 UFC), Ketlen Souza (13-4 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
Division: Women’s flyweight
Broadcast: ESPN/ESPN+
Referee: Chris Tognoni
Victor Altamirano vs. Tim Elliott
Round 1 – Altamirano comes out hot and begins to throw big kicks. And Elliott takes him down. Altamirano briefly gets back up, but taken down again after Elliott catches one of is kicks. Both fighters landing shots while grounded. Elliot landing some shots from top, but nothing big. Two minutes left. Altamirano seems to be content attacking off his back. Armbar attempt by Altamirano comes up short. A couple of nice elbows land for Elliott. The bell rings with Elliott on top.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Elliott.
Round 2 – Big two punch combo by Altamirano, but Elliott takes him down. Elliott working from guard just like Round 1. Elliott controlling here, but little damage. Altamirano scrambles back to his feet. Oh! Huge head kick connects for Altamirano. What a chin on Elliott. Now Altamirano takes down Elliott. Altamirano working from guard. Good ground-and-pound by Altamirano. Elliott gets back up. Two minutes left. Big left hand by Elliott. Elliott takes down Altamirano and finds himself on side control. Elliott gets pulled back to guard. Gorund-and-pound by Elliott, but nothing damaging. The bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Elliott.
Round 3 – Good right hand by Elliott, but Altamirano responds with a knee to the body. Head kick by Altamirano gets caught and Elliott takes the fight to the ground. Elliott working in guard. Not much going on here. Altamirano gets back up with a little less than two minutes left. Good one, two followed by a leg kick by Altamirano, but then he gets taken down. One minute left. Little damage from Elliott from top position. Elliott with some ground-and-pound. The bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Elliott. Overall 30-27, Elliott.
Result: Tim Elliott def. Victor Altamirano via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Photos: UFC on ESPN 45: Best photos from Las Vegas
Records: Tim Elliott (19-12-1 MMA, 8-10 UFC), Victor Altamirano (12-3 MMA, 2-2 UFC)
Division: Flyweight
Broadcast: ESPN/ESPN+
Referee: Mark Smith
Judging: Ron McCarthy, Derek Cleary 30-27. Chris Lee 29-28.
Jesse Butler vs. Jim Miller
Round 1 – Miller putting it on early on Butler here. Oh! What a KO! Miller completely puts the lights out on Butler with a nasty uppercut.
Result: Jim Miller def. Jesse Butler via KO (punch) – Round 1, 0:23
Recap: Jim Miller quickly drops Jesse Butler for fastest knockout of career
Photos: UFC on ESPN 45: Best photos from Las Vegas
Records: Jim Miller (36-17 MMA, 25-16 UFC), Jesse Butler (12-5 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
Division: Lightweight
Broadcast: ESPN/ESPN+
Referee: Dan Miragliotta
Alex Caceres vs. Daniel Pineda
Round 1 – Big leg kick by Pineda to open things up here. Pineda shoots, Caceres sprawls, and gets top position. The fight resumes on the feet. Hard leg kick by Pineda. Pineda attempts a takedown, they scramble and Caceres ends on top. Pineda with a triangle attempt, but Caceres gets out. Caceres working from guard. Pineda back up and Caceres lands a couple of shots in the process. Another hard leg kick by Pineda. Three minutes left. What a wild pace. Another failed takedown from Pineda ends with Caceres on top. Good ground-and-pound by Caceres. Pineda with an armbar! That’s tight! Caceres splips out. Wow. Crazy fight. One minute left. Another hard leg kick by Pineda. Body shot by Caceres. Caceres pins Pineda against the fence. Small shots here by Caceres. Back to striking. Hige left hook rocks Pineda! He’s wobbled. Pineda gets the takedown. The bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Caceres.
Round 2 – Pineda with a big right hand. Caceres responds and rocks Pineda with a series of shots. Wild fight. Pineda working the takedown against the fence. Caceres defends well. Couple of hard shots by Pineda. Caceres reverses the position and gets back to the middle of the octagon. Pineda looks wobbled. Good shots by Caceres. And Pineda gets a takedown. Pineda defends a triangle takedown and moves to side control, then the back. Caceres reverses the position and ends on top. Two minutes left. Pineda attempts a kimura and reverses the position. He’s now on top! Good shots from top by Pineda. Pineda in full control here in the grappling. He ends the round on top position.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Pineda.
Round 3 – Oh! Huge body kick by Caceres stuns Pineda. Caceres picking apart Pineda here on the feet. Pineda is bloodied up. Big right hand by Caceres. Pineda looked gassed. What a chin and toughness on Pineda. Body shot by Caceres stuns Pineda again. Three minutes left. Another body kick by Caceres. Oh man. Pineda is tough. Knee to the body by Caceres! Pineda is hurt bad. Pineda putting on an admirable effort here, but Caceres ding most of the damage clearly. Caceres gets Pineda’s back in a scramble. One minute left. Pineda scrambles out! They’re back to striking. More body shots by Caceres. And Pineda drops Caceres! He;s back up. The bell rings. What a fight.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Caceres. Overall 29-28, Caceres.
Result: Alex Caceres def. Daniel Pineda via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Photos: UFC on ESPN 45: Best photos from Las Vegas
Records: Alex Caceres (21-13 MMA, 16-11 UFC), Daniel Pineda (28-15 MMA, 5-6 UFC)
Division: Featherweight
Broadcast: ESPN/ESPN+
Referee: Mark Smith
Judging: Ron McCarthy, Junichiro Kamijo, Derek Cleary 29-28.
Kai Kara-France vs. Amir Albazi
Round 1 – Albazi takes the center of the octagon and Kara-France the outside. Both guys very tentative, nothing really thrown in the first minute. Leg kick by Kara-France. Right hand then shot by Albazi. He now pins Kara-France against the cage. Kara-France breaks free. Same dymanic: Albazi pushes foward, Kara-France on the back heel. They trade leg kicks. Two minutes left. Right hand from Kara-France backs up Albazi. And a solid leg kick by Kara-France. Good jab by Kara-France. One minute left. And a good right hand by Albazi. The bell rings. Close round.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Kara-France.
Round 2 – Good one, two by Albazi. Again, Albazi walking down Kara-France. Leg kick by Albazi. Clean jab by Albazi. Hard leg kick by Kara-France. Three minutes left. Albazi closes the distance and pins Kara-France against the cage just for a little. Back to striking. Big left hook by Albazi! That caught the attention of Kara-France. Albazi with constant pressure. Another left by Albazi. Uppercut by Albazi. The bell rings. He looked good.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Albazi.
Round 3. – Albazi shoots early here, Kara-France defends well and almost gets taken down. Albazi pressures Kara-France against the cage. And there’s the takedown! Albazi now advances to the back and begins to land some ground-and-pound. Three minutes left. Good control here by Albazi. Very dominant in the grappling. Albazi locks the body triangle and begins to work for a rear-naked choke! It’s tight! Kara-France splips out. And Kara-Francereverses the position and is now on top in gusrd. Thirty seconds left. Kara-France with some shots from top. The bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Albazi.
Round 4 – Albazi back to pressing on Kara-France. Big right hand by Kara-France. Kara-France moving forward a bit more than previous rounds. Clean jab by Kara-France. Very low output from both. Albazi closes the distance and ties up Kara-France against the fence. Kara-France breaks free quickly. Two minutes left. Leg kick by Kara-France. Now leg kick by Albazi. Kara-France catches a kick from Albazi and takes him down. Albazi immediately spings back up and goes back to striking. The bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Kara-France.
Round 5 – Kara-France comes out agressive. Big right hand by Kara-France!Albazi shoots for a takedown and gets it. Kara-France back up on his feet but still tied up by Albazi by the cage. Good defense by Kara-France, but unable to break the lock. And Kara-France is free. Three minutes left. Kara-France picking up the pace here. Good jabs by Kara-France. Albazi’s striking output has slowed. Body kick by Kara-France. The two exchanging, but nothing clean at the moment. One minute left. Good jabs from both. The two brawl it out to the final bell.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Kara-France. Overall 48-47, Kara-France.
Result: Amir Albazi def. Kai Kara-France via split decision (48-47, 47-48, 48-47)
Recap: Amir Albazi wins thin split decision over Kai Kara-France
Photos: UFC on ESPN 45: Best photos from Las Vegas
Records: Amir Albazi (17-1 MMA, 5-0 UFC), Kai Kara-France (24-11 MMA, 7-4 UFC)
Division: Flyweight
Broadcast: ESPN/ESPN+
Referee: Herb Dean
Judging: Chris Lee, Sal D’Amato 48-47. Mike Bell 47-48.
