Amir Albazi has argued that he deserves the next UFC flyweight title shot.
On July 8, Brandon Moreno looks to defend the 125-pound championship against Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 290. After Pantoja gets his title shot, it’s unclear what’s next for the division. Brandon Royval, the number four-ranked flyweight, is confident he’s getting the next title shot after being the backoff for Moreno vs. Pantoja.
Meanwhile, Albazi has solidified himself as a legitimate contender after defeating Kai Kara-France by a controversial split decision on June 3. During the UFC Vegas 74 post-fight press conference, ‘The Prince’ had this to say when asked if he deserves a title shot:
“Yeah, definitely [I deserve a title shot]. I got the win against number three in the world. Who else is it? Who else is above him? It’s Pantoja, Moreno, and I don’t know what’s going on with Deiveson Figueiredo, it seems like he doesn’t wanna fight at flyweight. I’m the next one for the title. Brandon Royval, we were booked, and he pulled out of the fight. I don’t really know what happened, so it doesn’t really make sense that he goes before me and gets a title shot.”
The UFC Vegas 74 main event result was heavily disputed by fans and some fighters. Most people believe Kara-France should have won, but Chris Lee and Sal D’Amato disagree. With that said, Albazi did show his ability to go five rounds and win against one of the best flyweights on the planet.
Amir Albazi plans to continue reaching his expectations by becoming the flyweight king
Regardless of what’s next, Amir Albazi has continued to evolve since making his UFC debut in July 2020. Although the decision was controversial, Albazi took another massive step toward becoming a UFC champion by defeating Kai Kara-France. During the post-fight press conference, ‘The Prince’ had this to say about his performance:
“I feel good, that was the top three-ranked flyweight in the world, and I got the win against him. I went five rounds, so I know I can go with these guys for five whole rounds, and I know I’m ready for the title. I just wanna go on to the next one, get my belt, and keep climbing, keep becoming the king that I know I am.”
Albazi’s win at UFC Vegas 74 extended his promotional record to 5-0. The 29-year-old holds wins against Malcolm Gordon, Zhalgas Zhumagulov, Francis Figueiredo, Alessandro Costa, and Kara-France. Only time will tell if his next Octagon appearance is a title fight or a number-one contender matchup.