UFC Fight Focus: Askar Askorov vs. Kai-Kara France

The UFC roadshow travels to Columbus Ohio this Saturday as Curtis Blaydes and Chris Daukaus go to battle in the main event. The card has come in somewhat under the radar as follows a crazy UFC London card but it should not be snuffed at. The latest Fight Night installment has tons of really interesting matchups scattered throughout and I expect this to be a very fun card.

We have mentioned the headliner, a good fight, but not one that gets the juices flowing especially with the heavyweight division somewhat on hold. A flyweight contest featuring Joanne Wood and Alexa Grasso will serve as the co-main event. Matt Brown, who is always fun to watch, goes up against Bryan Barberena in a welterweight showdown plus many more intriguing battles.

For this article, I’m going to focus on the small guys. Askar Askorov (14-0-1) takes on Kai Kara-France (23-9) in the flyweight division, a fight which is said to be contested on the main card.

The trade of one of the greatest fighters of all time, Demetrius Johnson, and the fact UFC were cutting a lot of 125-pound fighters from their racks made the future of the flyweight division look very bleak in 2018. Dana White never committed, but often suggested the dispensation of the division over that latter period of that year and l was devastated to hear the news at the time.

Gladly, those plans never came to fruition and today the flyweight division is steeped in talent and has never looked better.

Right now, in many people’s eyes, Alexandre Pantoja is labeled the #1 contender in the 125-pound division. I’m not here to argue that one way or another, all I’m saying is that both Askarov and Kara-France, with a standout performance, could leapfrog the Brazilian into that #1 position. The word from Ariel Helwani is that Brandon Moreno and Deiveson Figueiredo 4 is set to go down in July, the winner this encounter may even be considered to be the replacement if either Moreno or Figgy were to fall out of their proposed fight.

Kai Kara-France produced a stunning come-from-behind win against Rogério Bontorin and a stunning knockout against Cody Garbrandt the last two times he stepped foot inside the octagon. This fight is the deal breaker for the New Zealander, a win over the undefeated Askarov would propel him into a position where he would become, in my opinion, undeniable for the next title shot. On the other end of the stick, a loss would leave some questions on if he will ever get the chance to compete for gold in the division. At the age of 28, Kara-France does have time on his hands to rebuild so a loss would not be as detrimental as one would make it out to be.

Askar Askarov has looked unflappable in recent bouts and remains undefeated, the only man to to deny the Russian a win is the current champion Brandon Moreno back in 2019 when they both fought to a draw. Finishing fights is something that Askarov loves to do, weather it be on the feet or with his grappling skills. The fact that “Bullet” is so vastly skilled on the mat gives him the confidence to open up on the feet and boy what a joy that is to behold.

I love how Askarov utilises his distance to move away from his opponents attacks but allows himself enough space to counter back with his own shots all in one motion. The ability to move backwards and land is a great skill to possess and we seen the results when Askarov opened up a cut and busted up the eye of Joseph Benavidez last time out. The Russians ability to outgrapple Benavidez was massively impressive also and Askarov, like many of his previous fights, was in control from bell-to-bell.

Kai Kara-France has some one-punch knockout power, at flyweight that is a rare, but useful tool to possess. That fight ending power that Kara-France brings to the table is what make this battle super interesting for me. I’m excited to see whether Askarov chooses to go toe-to-toe with his rival. I’m also wondering if Kara France will be put off somewhat with the thoughts of a possible takedown attempt which Askarov has in his back pocket if he is feeling the heat whilst involved in a striking battle. That particular factor is the deal breaker for me in this contest.

In this fight we will see some striking exchanges, but it will be on Askar Askarov’s terms. He will be the one who decides where this fight goes and having that confidence in your ability is very important when the cage door closes. Kara-France has found himself in precarious grappling positions in the past, he can not rest on his laurels and think he can just sprawl and brawl in this fight. The New Zealander is going to have to produce the best performance of his career so far, that still may not be enough. I see Askar Askarov as the future champion of the flyweight division. I think he has the ability to go out there a get a statement win on Saturday night and stake his claim as the next #1 contender in the 125-pound division.

UFC Columbus goes down on Saturday March 26th, check out the official fight card below.

Main Card (BT Sports / ESPN+)

Heavyweight: Curtis Blaydes vs. Chris Daukaus
Women’s Flyweight: Joanne Wood vs. Alexa Grasso
Flyweight: Askar Askarov vs. Kai Kara-France
Welterweight: Matt Brown vs. Bryan Barberena
Heavyweight: Ilir Latifi vs. Alexey Oleynik
Lightweight: Marc Diakiese vs. Viacheslav Borschev

Preliminary Card (BT Sports / ESPN+)

Welterweight: Neil Magny vs. Max Griffin
Women’s Bantamweight: Sara McMann vs. Karol Rosa
Bantamweight: Chris Gutiérrez vs. Danaa Batgerel
Women’s Flyweight: Jennifer Maia vs. Manon Fiorot
Flyweight: Matheus Nicolau vs. David Dvořák
Featherweight: Luis Saldaña vs. Bruno Souza