The Ultimate Fighting Championship held its latest event at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada tonight. UFC on ESPN 46: “Kara-France vs Albazi” was headlined by a flyweight contender’s clash between recent title challenger Kai “Don’t Blink” Kara-France and rising star Amir “The Prince” Albazi.
In the featherweight co-main event, Alex “Bruce Leeroy” Caceres took on Daniel “The Pit” Pineda. Elsewhere on the main card tonight, lightweight veteran Jim “A-10” Miller faced UFC newcomer Jesse Butler, who stepped in on mere days’ notice. MMARising.com has live play-by-play for the card.
Amir “The Prince” Albazi vs Kai “Don’t Blink” Kara-France
Round 1:
Cautious leg kicks were exchanged during the opening minute and Albazi initiated a clinch against the cage. Kara-France pushed him away and landed a hard leg kick. Albazi missed with a right hand and Kara-France landed one in response. A right hook landed for Kara-France late in the uneventful round. 10-9 Kara-France.
Round 2:
The fighters traded jabs and leg kicks in the second round until Kara-France stepped forward with an overhand right. He followed with another chopping leg kick and avoided an Albazi clinch attempt. Kara-France circled and jabbed, but Albazi landed a solid kick to the body. A lead left hook scored for Albazi, but Kara-France continued to throw jabs and leg kicks while keeping his distance. Kara-France scored with a left-right combo in the final seconds. 10-9 Kara-France.
Round 3:
Albazi clinched and took Kara-France’s back in round three. He briefly tripped him, but Kara-France returned to his feet. Albazi got Kara-France down again and landed short right hands before taking back control. Albazi worked to secure a rear-naked choke and Kara-France narrowly survived one. Kara-France stood up with Albazi on his back and shook him off. He took top position in Albazi’s guard and landed elbows before the end of the round. 10-9 Albazi despite the late rally.
Round 4:
Kara-France finished a combination with a leg kick and he grazed with an overhand right. Another leg kick landed for Kara-France and he stepped forward with a lead left hook. Albazi took his back and Kara-France broke free. Kara-France jabbed and circled left and right. He caught a body kick and took Albazi down, but Albazi immediately returned to his feet. The fighters separated and Kara-France jabbed until the bell. 10-9 Kara-France.
Round 5:
Kara-France began the final round with quick punching combinations before resuming his circling on the outside. Albazi got him down to a knee and took Kara-France’s back when he stood up. Kara-France turned into the clinch and broke away, and Albazi landed a right hook. Kara-France used his jab to set up a right cross. Albazi answered with a counter right hook and Kara-France finished a quick combo with a leg kick. Kara-France jabbed and just missed with an overhand right. In the final minute, Albazi connected with a right hook and Kara-France countered with jabs and a lead left hand. Punches were exchanged until the final bell. 10-9 Kara-France.
Winner: Amir Albazi by Split Decision (48-47, 48-47, 47-48) after five rounds. He improves to 17-1-0.
Alex “Bruce Leeroy” Caceres vs Daniel “The Pit” Pineda
Round 1:
Caceres opened the action with a side kick and he countered a Pineda takedown attempt with a guillotine choke. Pineda escaped by rolling to his back and he got to his feet. Caceres reversed a takedown into full mount and Pineda had to act quickly to scramble to full guard. He attempted a triangle choke and Caceres powered out. The fight returned to the feet and Caceres landed elbows while balancing on one leg as Pineda tried unsuccessfully to take him down. It was Caceres who secured a takedown and he punched from the top. Pineda spun into a deep armbar and Caceres spun out of it. The fighters stood and Caceres rocked Pineda with a one-two, then tried to trap him in an inverted triangle choke on the ground. 10-9 Caceres.
Round 2:
Pineda rushed forward and landed three right hooks to begin round two, then took Caceres’s back. Caceres turned into the clinch and Pineda landed an elbow and a right hook. He slowed way down but still managed to get Caceres down to the mat. Caceres tried for a triangle choke and Pineda passed to side control. He took Caceres’s back and secured a body triangle, then used a kimura grip to set up a pass to mount. Caceres rolled to his side and Pineda dropped elbows to the side of his head. Caceres got back to full guard and Pineda landed two elbows from the top. 10-9 Pineda.
Round 3:
Caceres hurt Pineda with a liver kick in the final round and Pineda retreated to the cage. He chopped out Pineda’s leg with a kick and cut him beside his left eye with a jab. Caceres hurt Pineda again with a left hook to the body, but Pineda answered back with a right hook. Caceres jumped in with a flying switch knee to the body and he attempted a head kick that was caught. Caceres took Pineda’s back and suplexed him down, then trapped Pineda in a body triangle. Pineda turned over and then stood up, and Caceres targeted his body with punches. Pineda knocked Caceres down with a looping right hook, but Caceres immediately stood and the fight ended with an exchange of punches. 10-9 Caceres.
Winner: Alex Caceres by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) after three rounds. He improves to 21-13-0, 1 NC.
Jim “A-10” Miller vs Jesse Butler
Round 1:
Miller pressed forward early in the fight and landed a one-two combo, then knocked Butler out cold with a straight left hand that sent Butler crumpling to the mat against the cage.
Winner: Jim Miller by KO (Punch) at 0:23 of round one. He improves to 36-17-0, 1 NC.
Tim Elliott vs Victor “El Magnifico” Altamirano
Round 1:
Altamirano landed a left hook and a head kick right away, but Elliott took him down and struck from the top in Altamirano’s half-guard. Altamirano briefly got to his feet and Elliott took him down again. He attacked with hammerfists and Altamirano looked to set up an armbar or a triangle choke from the bottom. Both fighters landed short elbows and punches, but Elliott’s had more force behind them. Altamirano postured for an armbar and Elliott avoided it. 10-9 Elliott.
Round 2:
The second round opened with Altamirano landing a one-two and Elliott scored a takedown. He grinded his elbow across Altamirano’s forehead and kept him pinned against the base of the cage. Altamirano got to his feet and he landed a head kick that forced Elliott to drop levels. This time, Elliott wound up on the bottom and Altamirano tried to pass to mount. Elliott escaped to his feet and he landed an overhand left, then took Altamirano down into side control. Altamirano got back to full guard and Elliott peppered him with punches from the top. Closer round. Still 10-9 Elliott.
Round 3:
Elliott landed an overhand left early in the final round and he took Altamirano down after catching a kick. Elliott postured up with punches and hammerfists while avoiding Altamirano’s attempts to secure an armbar. Altamirano finally got to his feet and he landed a left hook and a one-two. Elliott took him back down and closed out the fight with hammerfists from the top. 10-9 Elliott.
Winner: Tim Elliott by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) after three rounds. He improves to 19-12-1.
“Killer” Karine Silva vs Ketlen “Esquentadinha” Souza
Round 1:
Silva took Souza down into half-guard in the opening seconds and she looked to set up a guillotine choke. She let it go and dropped back into an Achilles lock on Souza’s left leg. Souza’s knee popped out and she tapped in great pain.
Winner: Karine Silva by Submission (Achilles Lock) at 1:45 of round one. She improves to 16-4-0.
Elizeu “Capoeira” Zaleski dos Santos vs Abubakar Nurmagomedov
Round 1:
Nurmagomedov hurt dos Santos with two right hooks and clinched with him against the cage. The fighters exchanged knees to the thigh and body. Nurmagomedov could not take dos Santos down and the fighters were separated. Dos Santos kicked to the body and fought off Nurmagomedov’s clinch attempts. He landed a knee to the body and caught a Nurmagomedov kick. Close round due to dos Santos’s late rally. 10-9 Nurmagomedov due to the early damage.
Round 2:
Dos Santos opened the second round with a hard inside-leg kick. He followed with an uppercut when Nurmagomedov closed the distance and then resumed kicking at his lead leg. Dos Santos tried to clinch and Nurmagomedov countered by taking his back. Dos Santos turned into the clinch and broke free, then landed a right hand. Nurmagomedov tried to clinch again and dos Santos countered with two knees to the chest. Nurmagomedov swept out dos Santos’s leg with seconds remaining in the ground and finished on top. Another difficult round to score. 10-9 dos Santos due to damage.
Round 3:
Dos Santos landed a combination and a jumping knee in the final round. Nurmagomedov ducked under a right hand and clinched briefly. Neither man could score a takedown and dos Santos landed a right hook. He backed Nurmagomedov up with a counter right hand as Nurmagomedov threw a leg kick. Dos Santos sprawled out of a Nurmagomedov takedown and then escaped from a clinch. Dos Santos landed a big knee to Nurmagomedov’s body and one to his face. He held Nurmagomedov in a front headlock and kneed him in the face, but Nurmagomedov reversed position and hopped on dos Santos’s back. Dos Santos shook him off and the round ended with an exchange of punches. 10-9 dos Santos. Scores could be all over the place.
Winner: Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos by Split Decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29) after three rounds. He improves to 24-7-0.
(Undercard results and play-by-play on Page Two.)