The MMA Daily

Preview

We have an intriguing fight, as Kai ‘Don’t Blink’ Kara-France welcomes the former Bantamweight Champion Cody ‘No Love’ Garbrandt to the Flyweight division. Since winning his first three UFC fights, Kara-France has struggled to maintain consistency of late. Going 2-2 in the last four, Kara-France has an opportunity to not only make it two-straight, but add a former champion to the resume. Meanwhile, Garbrandt has flirted with the idea of dropping down to Flyweight for quite some time. Initially, he was supposed to fight for the Flyweight Championship against Deiveison Figueriedo back in November of last year. Unfortunately a torn bicep scrapped that fight and also his plan to drop down, as he took a fight against Rob Font. A loser of four of his last five, the time is now for Garbrandt to get back on track. 

Prediction

This should be a good one and I’m curious as to how Cody Garbrandt is going to look at weigh-ins. I can’t imagine this cut is going to be easy and for that, I do worry he may be compromised. I mean, we’ve seen T.J. Dillashaw drop down to Flyweight, look like skeletor and get knocked out in thirty-two seconds by Henry Cejudo. Obviously you can’t just base it off one instance, but it’s definitely something to think about. A former NCAA Division II wrestler and amatuer boxer, Garbrandt has a fairly well rounded game. However, Garbrandt more often than not, has relied on his boxing. While it’s been a strength throughout his career, it’s also been a weakness. Not due to skill, but due his inability to reset after being hurt. Instead, Garbrandt will often go into the fire with reckless abandon. It’s what cost him his Bantamweight belt, the rematch against T.J. Dillashaw and against Pedro Munhoz. As for Kara-France, the Australian is a striker who boasts excellent takedown defense. In addition, Kara-France has proven to be a high output striker, a decent wrestler and one who is fairly defensively sound. 

As for a prediction, I have Garbrandt winning. Regardless of all the red flags, Garbrandt is the more skilled fighter of the two. With a power edge, a size advantage and better wrestling, I believe that Garbrandt can defeat Kara-France. A fighter who has lost nine of his thirty-one professional fights and before his most recent knockout victory over Rogerio Bontorin, hadn’t knocked anyone out in the previous nine fights. So with that said, I predict that Garbrandt will win via decision.