Former champion Brandon Moreno has won another gold in an interim flyweight championship fight. He stopped Kai Kara-France in the third round with a brutal liver body kick that resulted in TKO at UFC 277 in Dallas.
Kara-France elbowed Moreno below the right eye early in the third, knocking him out. Kara-France took control of the fight by landing shots from the top. Moreno then countered with a powerful leg kick and an uppercut.
Moreno snatched an opportunity to land a liver shot in the final minute of the round. Moreno then finished Kara-France with punches after he collapsed in agony. Referee Herb Dean called a timeout at 4:34 of the third period.
“I practiced that kick so many times,” said Moreno after the match. “I worked on it so much.”
Moreno to face Figueiredo again
The 28-year-old Moreno claimed the interim flyweight title with the victory. He is set to face Deiveson Figueiredo for the fourth time. Their first meeting in 2020 ended in a tie, and Moreno submitted him at UFC 263 to win the belt. In January, Figueiredo reclaimed the title at UFC 270 in Anaheim, California, winning a contentious split decision.
When Moreno defeated Kara-France in the ring, Figueiredo jumped in to congratulate the Mexican fighter. He praised Moreno’s performance and said the fourth fight should take place in Brazil. Moreno immediately agreed.
Amanda Nunes defeated Julianna Peña
Meanwhile, Amanda Nunes (22-5 MMA, 15-2 UFC) reclaimed her belt after losing it to Julianna Peña (11-5 MMA, 7-3 UFC) seven months ago at American Airlines Center in Dallas. With a lopsided beatdown over the course of five rounds, Nunes’ victory was a unanimous decision (50-45, 50-44, 50-43).
Nunes managed to stop the fight inside the distance after opening a deep wound on Peña’s forehead. Peña did not back down and successfully challenge Nunes with multiple submission attempts. Nunes escaped them all and continued to lead the fight.
She told reporters after her victory that she could have finished Peña earlier, but she wanted to prove her dominance.
“I could have finished her, but I wanted to go five rounds with her tonight to prove I was better than her,” Nunes said. “I could have gone six, seven rounds.”
The 34-year-old Brazilian became the first woman to hold UFC titles in two different weight classes at the same time (Women’s Featherweight Champion and two-time UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion), riding a 12-fight win streak with eight finishes.
Nunes delivers promise
At UFC 269, Peña submitted Nunes to win the women’s bantamweight title. Nunes said the fight was all about strategy and that her going southpaw was crucial.
“Tonight proved that was a lucky day for her,” Nunes said after the fight. “If she needed to become a champion like that – she had her time, but now it’s over.
“The lioness, if they don’t get the prey the first time, I set the trap and I know I’d get it the second time.”
“Julianna is tough as nails,” UFC president Dana White said. “Her will to win is second to none. She wanted to win. As dominant as Amanda was, and she was dominant tonight – I don’t think it was close in any way, shape or form; I thought it was a complete shutout – she still looked a little gun-shy to me.”