(Editor’s note: Updated May 30 at 7:30 a.m. ET to reflect new opponent for Jamie Mullarkey.)
After a week off, the UFC is back on its home turf Saturday with UFC on ESPN 45 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Flyweight contenders are at the top of the lineup.
Here’s how to watch UFC on ESPN 45 with a pair of flyweight contenders in action.
Broadcast and streaming info
UFC on ESPN 45 has a main card that begins at 9 p.m. ET and airs on ESPN and streams on ESPN+. The ESPN/ESPN+ prelims begin at 6 p.m. ET.
Main event: Kai Kara-France
In the headliner, Kai Kara-France (24-10 MMA, 7-3 UFC) will try to get back in the flyweight title picture when he takes on Amir Albazi, who has yet to lose in the UFC. Kara-France was stopped with a third-round liver shot in an interim title fight against Brandon Moreno in July 2022. He was supposed to return in February against Alex Perez, but had to pull out with an injury. To get to his interim title fight against Moreno, Kara-France had three straight wins, including back-to-back first-round knockouts in 2021 of Rogerio Bontorin and former bantamweight champ T.J. Dillashaw.
Main event: Amir Albazi
Amir Albazi (16-1 MMA, 4-0 UFC) has won five straight, including his first four fights in the UFC. Even though he debuted with the promotion nearly three years ago, this will be just his fifth UFC fight. After he came to the UFC from Brave FC, Albazi has submissions of Malcolm Gordon and Francisco Figueiredo, a knockout of Alessandro Costa this past December, and a decision over Zhalgas Zhumagulov.
Co-main event
In the co-feature, longtime UFC featherweight [autotag]Alex Caceres (20-13 MMA, 15-11 UFC) takes on Daniel Pineda (28-14 MMA, 5-5 UFC). Caceres had a five-fight winning streak snapped by Sodiq Yusuff in March 2022, but bounced back this past December with a bonus-winning head-kick knockout of Julian Erosa. A fight against Nate Landwehr in March didn’t happen when Caceres pulled out with an injury. Pineda will be looking to build on a bonus-winning second-round submission of Tucker Lutz in March, which was his first win since August 2020.
UFC debut: Ketlen Souza
Ketlen Souza (13-3 MMA, 0-0 UFC), a 27-year-old women’s flyweight, makes her promotional debut when she takes on fellow Brazilian Karine Silva (15-4 MMA, 1-0 UFC) on the main card. Souza comes to the UFC on the strength of five straight wins, including a unanimous decision over Kristina Williams in January to win Invicta’s vacant flyweight title. Against Silva, she has an opponent who has six straight wins, all by stoppage, including a first-round submission of Poliana Botelho in her UFC debut nearly a year ago.
UFC debut: Muin Gafurov
Muin Gafurov (18-4 MMA, 0-0 UFC), a 27-year-old bantamweight from Tajikistan, will make his UFC debut on short notice when he takes on John Castaneda (19-6 MMA, 2-2 UFC) on the preliminary card. Gafurov stepped in on 10 days’ notice for Mateus Mendonca (10-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC). Gafurov first was on the UFC’s radar in 2021, when he dropped a split decision to Chad Anheliger on Dana White’s Contender Series. After that setback, he had back-to-back knockout wins under the LFA banner. Gafurov also is 3-3 for ONE Championship.
UFC debut: Muhammad Naimov
Muhammad Naimov (8-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC) got the call most fighters dream of when his management team hit him up Monday to say he had a short-notice fight against Jamie Mullarkey (16-5 MMA, 4-3 UFC). Naimov first had the UFC’s attention in 2020, but lost a shot on Dana White’s Contender Series. But now he’s got three straight wins and will step in at lightweight for Guram Kutateladze (12-3 MMA, 1-1 UFC), who was the biggest betting favorite on the card against Mullarkey.
ESPN main card betting odds
MAIN CARD (ESPN/ESPN+, 9 p.m. ET)
- Kai Kara-France (+105) vs. Amir Albazi (-125)
- Alex Caceres (-170) vs. Daniel Pineda (+145)
- Jared Gordon (-180) vs. Jim Miller (+155)
- Victor Altamirano (+135) vs. Tim Elliott (-155)
- Karine Silva (-200) vs. Ketlen Souza (+165)
- Jamie Mullarkey (N/A) vs. Muhammad Naimov (N/A)
ESPN preliminary card betting odds
PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN/ESPN+, 6 p.m. ET)
- Abubakar Nurmagomedov (-105) vs. Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos (-115)
- John Castaneda (N/A) vs. Muin Gafurov (N/A)
- Andrei Arlovski (-110) vs. Don’Tale Mayes (-110)
- Johnny Munoz (+165) vs. Daniel Santos (-195)
- Jinh Yu Frey (+100) vs. Elise Reed (-120)
- Da’Mon Blackshear (+125) vs. Luan Lacerda (-145)
- Maxim Grishin (-145) vs. Philipe Lins (+120)
UFC on ESPN 45 fighter records
MAIN CARD (ESPN/ESPN+, 9 p.m. ET)
- Kai Kara-France (24-10 MMA, 7-3 UFC) vs. Amir Albazi (16-1 MMA, 4-0 UFC)
- Alex Caceres (20-13 MMA, 15-11 UFC) vs. Daniel Pineda (28-14 MMA, 5-5 UFC)
- Jared Gordon (19-6 MMA, 7-5 UFC) vs. Jim Miller (35-17 MMA, 24-16 UFC)
- Victor Altamirano (12-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC) vs. Tim Elliott (18-12-1 MMA, 7-10 UFC)
- Karine Silva (15-4 MMA, 1-0 UFC) vs. Ketlen Souza (13-3 MMA, 0-0 UFC)
- Jamie Mullarkey (16-5 MMA, 4-3 UFC) vs. Muhammad Naimov (8-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC)
PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN/ESPN+, 6 p.m. ET)
- Abubakar Nurmagomedov (17-3-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) vs. Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos (23-7 MMA, 9-3 UFC)
- John Castaneda (19-6 MMA, 2-2 UFC) vs. Muin Gafurov (18-4 MMA, 0-0 UFC)
- Andrei Arlovski (34-21 MMA, 23-15 UFC) vs. Don’Tale Mayes (9-5 MMA, 2-3 UFC)
- Johnny Munoz (12-2 MMA, 2-2 UFC) vs. Daniel Santos (10-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC)
- Jinh Yu Frey (11-8 MMA, 2-4 UFC) vs. Elise Reed (6-3 MMA, 2-3 UFC)
- Da’Mon Blackshear (12-5-1 MMA, 0-1-1 UFC) vs. Luan Lacerda (12-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
- Maxim Grishin (32-9-2 MMA, 2-2 UFC) vs. Philipe Lins (16-5 MMA, 2-2 UFC)
