Amir Elbazy’s first UFC main event may have been marred by controversy, but after a back-and-forth fight that ended in a split decision on Kai Kara-France, Elbazy still has another win on his record.
It was an important moment for Elbazy, who has sought to establish himself as a credible threat for the flyweight title and keep his momentum going after starting his UFC run 4-0. And while the score ultimately flattened and kept his streak alive, Albazzi knows he has no one to blame but himself for letting Kara-France stay for the five rounds, especially after nearly ending the fight with an early rear naked choke submission.
“I had a lot of fun,” Albazzi said during the UFC Vegas 74 post-fight show. “I tried to get into a fistfight. I’d say, ‘You think you have a good right hand, and I have a good right hand too. ‘ I didn’t really follow my game plan. If I had followed my game plan, I would have knocked him out in the third round.”
Even though the fight was close throughout, Elbazy remains confident he’s done enough to secure the win – even though he knows it’s never a certainty when the judges get involved.
“I knew I was doing more than him,” Al-Bazi said. “He’s tried to play a little bit more defensively, but with referees these days, I don’t have a clue. I leave it to God. I’m God’s man, so I’m like, whatever [win this]It’s just a learning experience.
“But I got the win. I thought I did a little more than him, so it’s all good. I got the win, now on the next win, for the title. That’s what I want.”
With Saturday’s outcome in the rear view, Elbazy is poised to use his first main event win to propel himself towards the next goal of his career: claiming the £125 UFC title.
That’s why Albazzi didn’t call out any single fighter by name after his victory, but instead focused his attention on the upcoming flyweight title bout between reigning champions Brandon Moreno and Alexander Pantoja, which serves as the co-main event of UFC 290 in July.
Ideally, Elbazy hopes to wait to see who holds the title after Moreno against Pantoja, and then face the winner at the highly anticipated Abu Dhabi UFC event in October. This is despite fellow flyweight contender Brandon Roivale, who also sits near the top of the division with a triple win streak of his own, including a knockout over Mateusz Nicolau in his last outing.
Al-Bazi said, “I am next in line.” “I know I’m next. He’s next but he’s pulled out of the fight against me. He can’t go before me. You can’t pull out of the fight and then try to go in front of me for the title, so I’m next,” says Brandon Roivale.
“After I get my title, I can fight him to defend the title.”
If the UFC had other ideas – like fighting Royval in a No. 1 contender’s bout – Albazzi certainly wouldn’t turn them down, especially as he seeks to prove he’s the best flyweight in the world no matter the opponent.
“I can take anyone in that weight class,” Al-Bazi said. “Anybody in the division wants a fight, I always play. So if they want to give me another one, I’ll put on a good finish.”