- Brandon Moreno remains a solid -200 betting favorite to defeat Kaia Kara-France +165 at UFC 277.
- We give our UFC 277 betting pick for Moreno vs Kara-France below.
Brandon Moreno’s coming off a trilogy fight against Deiveson Figueiredo, and is now set to rematch against Kai “Don’t Blink” Kara-France. Their first fight was a close one in 2019, with Moreno getting his hand raised. This time it is for the interim flyweight title and will feature as the co-main at UFC 277. Check out the headliner Pena vs Nunes 2 odds here.
Brandon Moreno vs Kai Kara-France 2 Odds
| Fighter | Odds |
| Brandon Moreno | -200 |
| Kai Kara-France | +165 |
UFC 277 odds listed via BetMGM Sportsbook, are giving Brandon Moreno a 66.6% chance of defeating Kai Kara-France. The “Babyface Assassin” is currently listed at -200, with a $200 wager down on Moreno net $100 profit. A more risky but lucrative bet is Moreno to win inside the distance is listed at +240.
Meanwhile, the underdog here Kai Kara-France has a real chance to upset the odds here at +165, bet $100 to net $165. For a varied selection of sportsbook apps, check out this list of best sports betting apps.
Moreno vs Kara-France Pick
After coming off the heels of fighting Deiveson Figueiredo 3 consecutive times, Moreno finally has a fresh opponent. Although, he faced Kai back in 2019. Both of their fight styles have changed significantly since then. Kai Kara-France was the betting favorite -160 when he first fought Morena back at UFC 245.
In their first fight, it was strictly striking only, with not one takedown attempt made. Since then we’ve seen Moreno adopt some aggressive grappling into his fights and use it successfully, especially in the rematch against Figueiredo at UFC 263.
Kai Kara-France is 4-1 since fighting Moreno. His only loss was to Brandon Royval, by submission. His 3 consecutive wins included a first-round KO of former bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt and a decision win over Askar Askarov. Kai’s advantage in this fight is being the more powerful striker, with Moreno relying more on volume.
Since Kai Kara-France is more of an explosive fighter, I can see him narrowly taking the first round. Each minute as the second round goes back allows Moreno to get into his rhythm even more. Fans will be in for a treat, when it comes to leg and body kicks, with both fighters more evenly matched in the striking department than in their first fight.
Where the oddsmakers see a clear advantage is Moreno’s wrestling, grappling, and submission abilities that could finish Kai in the later rounds. For average takedowns per 15 min, Moreno lands 1.84 with a 47% accuracy rate. Kai has a high takedown defense of 86% and we will need every bit of it against Moreno.
Over the course of five rounds, it’s clear that Moreno has the championship-level experience to win this fight in multiple ways.
Betting Pick: Moreno Insider the Distance +450
Moreno Stays Humble of Star Power
While Moreno has the backing of Mexico and a huge fanbase globally, he doesn’t know if he has complete star power yet.
“Of my fan base, the biggest [part of it] is in Mexico,” he said. “And in the United States, I have a huge fan base, too. But I can feel the love from [so many] countries. A few months back, in March, I went to London and I had a meet-and-greet there. A lot of people were there [and they were] very excited to get to know me. Moreno told YahooSports.com.
“Man, that’s awesome. It’s great. But I don’t know if I’m a star or not. I try not to think about it. If it happens, I’d love it and thank you so much. If not, it’s fine for me. I just like to be nice to the people, and that’s it, man.”
Moreno discussed what had changed in making him a contender to a champion. The reason, Moreno said, is simple: Confidence.
“We can talk different stuff with technique and that stuff, but the thing he’s improved most is his confidence,” Moreno said. “He lost to me, he won against Tyson Nam and then he lost against Royval. But after that, he looked different against Bontorin and Cody Garbrandt. The last one against Askarov, he was impressive. He looked more brave and more confident. More confidence in the Octagon is very important.”
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