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Kai Kara-France earned his first knockout victory in a dramatic fight at UFC 259.
Kiwi flyweight contender Kai Kara-France has scored his first UFC stoppage win in a dramatic comeback win at UFC 259.
In a career-critical victory, Kara-France completed a start knockout, which Mark Hunt would have been proud of, over Rogeio Bontorin in Las Vegas on Sunday (New Zealand time) after being dominated for all but the last 20 seconds of the opening round.
Kara-France dedicated the impressive knockout victory to her son Cobi, who was born last month.
“I love you bro,” he told his son in a post-fight interview.
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Kara-France spent around three minutes on her back trying desperately to avoid a submission before finally struggling to get back on her feet. His submission defense was arguably as impressive as the knockout that came with five seconds left in the first round.
Jeff Bottari / Getty Images
Carlos Ulberg landed 115 significant punches before Kennedy Nzechukwu stopped him in the second round.
In the fight commentary, UFC great Daniel Cormier rated the fight as good twice as Bontorin had Kara-France’s back with his arms around her neck.
But Kara-France refused to budge. He finally got to his feet and hit three forehands to complete an incredible win from behind.
The fight ended in strange circumstances with Kara-France walking away after the knockout blow, but referee Herb Dean did not say the fight was over.
Bontorin tried to stand up but was clearly in shock and when Kara-France walked in to finish the job, Dean finally turned down the fight.
Bontorin protested the result and appeared to throw his mouth guard at Kara-France, but the Braizailn were clearly in no condition to continue.
Kara-France only landed 13 significant punches, but the fact that he fought on his back to be in position to land all three critical rights will please his trainer Eugene Bareman, who before the fight spoke about wanting to see his fighter work through. adversity and stay. compound under pressure.
Jeff Bottari / Getty Images
Carlos Ulberg (right) has been stopped in the second round of his UFC debut by Kennedy Nzechukwu at UFC 259.
Two goals that Kara-France has passed with great success.
The 27-year-old Kiwi, who fights outside of City Kickboxing, didn’t call anyone after the fight, but said he wants someone to rank in the top five.
Kara-France entered the fight in seventh place in the flyweight rankings.
His only two UFC losses have been to No. 1 contender Brandon Moreno and No. 5 Brandon Royval.
Previously, Carlos Ulberg’s long-awaited UFC debut ended abruptly with a knockout loss.
Ulberg, the latest City Kickboxing fighter to break onto the UFC stage, made his Las Vegas debut on Sunday (New Zealand time) in a spectacular light heavyweight fight against Kennedy Nzechukwu, on the UFC super fight undercard. 259 between Jan Blachowicz and Israel Adesanya.
The loss will be a huge disappointment for Ulberg because it was a fight he could and should have won.
Ulberg started the first round strong and appeared to be the better fighter early in the second, but began to slow down and, with his hands down and his chin up, he went into a brutal right hook as he got caught. On the fence of the octagon that brought him down The canvas.
A flurry of punches later and the fight was cut short.
Ulberg landed 115 significant punches to Nzechukwu’s 65, but he flirted with danger too many times and was stopped at 3 minutes 19 seconds of the second of three rounds.
Ulberg, who came out on OMC’s classic Kiwi hit How Bizarre, will certainly be able to come back and can also win the fight of the night in what was entertaining match while it lasted.
Nzechukwu (8-1) now has a 4-1 record in the UFC.
Ulberg’s debut loss came at the UFC Apex, the same place where he won his UFC contract in the Dana White Contender Series with a knockout of his own back in November.
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