UFC on ESPN: Kara-France vs. Albazi
| Industry | Mixed martial arts promotion |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1993 |
| Headquarters | Enterprise, Nevada , United States |
| Products | Mixed martial arts events |
| Website | www |
UFC on ESPN: Kara-France vs. Albazi—also referred to as UFC on ESPN 46 or UFC Vegas 74'—was a mixed martial arts competition organized by the Ultimate Fighting Championship. The event took place on June 3, 2023, at the UFC Apex facility located in Enterprise, Nevada, within the Las Vegas Metropolitan Area, United States.
Background
Initially, a middleweight contest featuring Jack Hermansson and former LFA Middleweight Champion Brendan Allen was slated to headline the card. However, Hermansson's injury led to the bout's cancellation. Subsequently, Allen was rescheduled to compete against Bruno Silva at UFC on ABC: Emmett vs. Topuria on June 25. Following this change, the flyweight matchup between former interim UFC Flyweight Championship contender Kai Kara-France and Amir Albazi was elevated to main event status.
A flyweight clash between Tim Elliott and Allan Nascimento was planned, but after Nascimento withdrew, former LFA Flyweight Champion Victor Altamirano stepped in as his replacement.
The bout involving former Strikeforce and UFC Women's Bantamweight Champion Miesha Tate against Mayra Bueno Silva was canceled due to Tate sustaining an injury. Consequently, Bueno Silva was reassigned to headline UFC Fight Night: Holm vs. Bueno Silva, where she faced Holly Holm.
A featherweight fight between David Onama and Khusein Askhabov was called off after Askhabov's withdrawal; Onama was then booked to face Gabriel Santos at UFC on ABC: Emmett vs. Topuria.
The lightweight bout initially scheduled between Jim Miller and Ľudovít Klein experienced multiple changes: Klein withdrew due to illness and was replaced by Jared Gordon, who later pulled out for medical reasons, leading to promotional newcomer Jesse Butler stepping in.
Jamie Mullarkey also encountered an opponent switch when Guram Kutateladze had to withdraw owing to visa complications; Muhammad Naimov accepted the fight on short notice.
In the bantamweight division, Mateus Mendonça withdrew from his fight against John Castañeda because of injury and was replaced by Muin Gafurov.
Bonus awards
The following competitors were awarded $50,000 bonuses:
- Fight of the Night: Alex Caceres vs. Daniel Pineda
- Performance of the Night: Jim Miller and Muhammad Naimov