Brandon Moreno-Kai Kara France interim flyweight title fight in the works for UFC 277

Brandon Moreno and Kai Kara France are expected to vie for the interim flyweight crown at UFC 277.

News of the matchup was first  reported by Ariel Helwani. An interim belt was reportedly created because reigning 125-pound king Deiveson Figueiredo is still recovering from an injured finger. Otherwise, the promotion wanted to book Figueiredo vs. Moreno 4. Moreno and Kara France initially fought at UFC 245, with Moreno winning a three-round verdict.

UFC 277 takes place on July 30 and is also expected to include a middleweight showdown between Paulo Costa and Luke Rockhold as well as a light heavyweight tilt pitting Magomed Ankalaev against Anthony Smith. A location has not been revealed, but Dallas is rumored to be the top option.

Moreno is coming off a unanimous decision loss to Figueiredo in a trilogy bout at UFC 270 on Jan. 22. “The Assassin Baby” is 1-1-1 against the Brazilian, with a third-round submission victory at UFC 263 and a majority draw at UFC 256. It will be Moreno’s first clash against a foe other than Figueiredo since a first-round TKO of Brandon Rovyal in November 2020.

Kara France, meanwhile, has been victorious in his last three UFC appearances. Most recently, he outpointed fellow top contender Askar Askarov at UFC on ESPN 33. The City Kickboxing representative’s streak also includes KO/TKO finishes of Cody Garbrandt and Rogerio Bontorin.