Amanda Nunes wasn’t the only fighter to regain their title on Saturday night. At American Airlines Arena, Brandon Moreno stopped Kai Kara-France in the third round to capture the UFC’s interim 125-pound title. Moreno landed a kick to the torso that hurt Kara-France and unleashed a ground and pound attack before the referee stopped the fight.
“You gotta be kidding me! Brandon Moreno with a liver kick that shuts down Kara-France’s body. Some ground and pound follows and it’s all over,” Andreas Hale of Sporting News tweeted.
“Dear god that liver KO by Brandon Moreno…that was obscene. Wow. Wow wow wow. Just straight melted KFF,” Shaheen Al-Shatti of MMA Fighting added.
After securing the interim 125-pound title, the regular champion, Deiveson Figueiredo, entered the octagon. Figueiredo was initially set to fight Moreno this summer, but injuries derailed those plans. Now, Figueiredo is hopeful that the two can share the octagon in Brazil this winter.
“This guy right here, tonight is his night and he is the champion,” Figueiredo said.
“I have a lot of respect for him … I want to take this fight home to Brazil.”
Moreno and Figueiredo are far from strangers. In December 2020, Moreno challenged Figueiredo for the title and the match ended in a majority draw. Months later, Moreno captured the title in an immediate rematch, but he ended up losing it in a third fight that was marred by a controversial decision. A fourth fight between the two may finally put an end to the ongoing saga.
The belt is back on the waist of @TheAssassinBaby ? #UFC277 pic.twitter.com/SxWxUq3hPA
— UFC (@ufc) July 31, 2022
