Two of the top UFC bantamweight fighters are set to fight for the second time when they meet in the UFC 277 co-main event this weekend in Dallas, Texas. UFC 277 is a pay-per-view event and will stream exclusively on ESPN+.
Former champion Brandon Moreno makes his return to face Kai Kara-France in what could be one of the best fights of the night. Moreno steps back into the Octagon following his unanimous decision defeat against Deiveson Figueiredo in January. With that defeat, Moreno lost the title he had won in 2021 and will now look to get back on track with a win against #2 ranked contender Kara-France this weekend.
Kara-France has emerged as a top challenger after three consecutive wins against Askar Askarov, Cody Garbrandt, and Rogerio Bontorin. After losing to Moreno by unanimous decision in 2019, this co-main event clash at UFC 277 represents a massive opportunity for the City Kickboxing fighter.
Read on for UFC fighter predictions before Moreno vs. Kara-France this weekend.
Watch UFC 277 Fight Card
- Date:Â Saturday, July 30
- Time:Â PPV Main Card starts at 10 pm ET, Prelims start at 6 pm ET
- Watch:Â
ESPN + PPV (order here)
UFC 277 is a PPV event, and that means fans must order UFC 277 on the ESPN+ website to watch every main card fight live, including Moreno vs. Kara-France. After ordering, fans can then stream every UFC 277 fight to a preferred device, including TVs, mobiles, computers, laptops, tablets, and more.
Moreno vs. Kara-France predictions
UFC fighters shared their predictions for Brandon Moreno vs. Kai Kara-France before the fight takes place on the UFC 277 main card. Here’s what they said:
Saidyokub Kakhramonov
“I think Brandon Moreno is going to take that fight. Because his striking is more cleaner, he’s patient with it and doesn’t run into a slugfest. But usually, Kai only gets wins when he’s banging because he’s short and he’s got tiny hands — he gets in with hooks, and that’s why he gets the finish. But I think Brandon is going to stay at a distance and pick him apart.” (via James Lynch)
Davey Grant
“Exciting fight and I love the way both guys fight. I’ll go with Brandon on this one. I think he’s been having the higher-level fights. He’s that little bit sharper and a bit crisper. He’s going to beat Kara-France to the punch a few times. I think Kai Kara-France might just load up a little too much, and I think Moreno will stick behind his jab and stay nice and technical.” (via James Lynch)
Johnny Munoz
“Brandon Moreno is going to take that. I think this time around, it’s going to be interesting. Kai is on a roll right now. Confidence is up there, and he’s taken out a couple of named guys in a row, you know what I mean? I feel Brandon needs to be on point. It could be a dangerous fight, but Brandon is a really smart fighter who trains hard.
“He’s one of the hardest-working guys I’ve ever seen train. Most of these guys in MMA don’t train hard, they say it in interviews and all that stuff but when you see it in person that guy has a different mindset. I think Brandon takes it, and he’s on his way back to winning the belt back.” (via James Lynch)
Nate Maness
“I’m a Kai Kara-France fan, and I’ll take him for what will probably be the upset, even by knockout. He’s got power in his hands. By knockout or decision.” (via James Lynch)
Kyle Daukaus
“I’ll say Kai Kara-France. I’m a big fan of the City Kickboxing guys, and I like Kai.” (via James Lynch)
Cory Sandhagen
“I like both those fights. Kai’s fights are kind of chaotic and are super exciting and fun to watch and hard to deal with. But I feel like Moreno is the type of guy who deals really well with that type of chaos. That’s ane exciting one. I like both of those guys, so I don’t really want to say a name and root for one of them.
“So, my unthoughtful prediction on how would do well in that fight is probably Kai. I like Kai. That’s who I like more, man.” (via James Lynch)
Jack Shore
“It’s so tough to pick between these flyweights at the top. You know, Kara-France punches so hard for the weight. He’s got legitimate one-punch knockout power. He’s striking, coming from the gym he comes from, tells you all you need to know — he’s an elite-level striker.
“Look at Moreno vs. Figueiredo, no one hits harder than that guy, and he just walked through his shots. Typical tough Mexican boxing style, rolling with the punches and coming back with flurries, he was sometimes throwing 5 to 10 punch combinations. And if it’s over a five-rounder, then it’s going to be either Kara-France catches him early or it’ll be Moreno coming on strong late on, I think.” (via James Lynch)
Thiago Moises
“I think Brandon Moreno is going to win. I think he’s more well-rounded, you know, he can benefit from takedowns, I think that he has that advantage.” (via James Lynch)
Charles Rosa
“I love Brandon Moreno. He’s one of those guys that motivates me every day. Seeing that he started off by getting cut in the UFC after being 0-2 and then coming back and being world champion — and he’s also one of the nicest human beings I’ve ever met. I’m definitely going for my guy and fellow management teammate, Brandon Moreno.” (via James Lynch)
Nathaniel Wood
“Brandon Moreno, 100 percent. It’s a very tough fight, but that’s who I’m backing.” (via James Lynch)
Muhammad Mokaev
“I think Kai Kara-France will win. Kara-France has better striking than Moreno. But Moreno doesn’t have wrestling to stop his striking, you know.” (via James Lynch)