MMA Preview: Kai Kara-France (24-11-1) vs Steve Erceg (12-2)

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Kai Kara-France vs. Steve Erceg is the co-main event of UFC 305, which is taking place on August 17 (local time) at RAC Arena in Erceg’s hometown of Perth

After losing the title fight to Alexandre Pantoja in Rio, Steve Erceg is coming back home to fight against Kai Kara-France. UFC 305 betting odds favor the Aussie fighter.

Kai Kara-France vs. Steve Erceg Odds

MoneylineOdds
Kai Kara-France+110
Steve Erceg-130

Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds direct as of Friday, August 17, 2024

When, Where, and How to Watch?

  • Place: RAC Arena in Perth, Australia
  • Date: Sunday, August 18, 2024
  • Time: ~1:00 a.m. ET
  • How to Watch: NBC

Kai Kara-France is 24-11-1 overall with 11 wins by KO/TKO in his portfolio, which is proof of how good a striker he is. The New Zealand-based fighter has a background in kickboxing, which is why it’s no surprise that he lands over 4.5 significant strikes a minute.

He’s also decent when it comes to wrestling, although he uses these skills mostly to defend against takedowns. This explains why his takedown defense percentage is 88%.

This is impressive given that he’s fought against some really good wrestlers, including Amir Albazi, Brandon Moreno, and Askar Askarov, all of whom average more TDs than Kara-France’s next opponent, Steve Erceg.

Steve Erceg is 12-2 overall with both of his losses happening by decision. The first one happened in his second professional fight; the other one happened earlier this year in Rio de Janeiro in the fight against defending champion Alexandre Pantoja.

Erceg managed to get through to the final bell, but Pantoja did ragdoll him in that fight. The champ landed 9 takedowns, which is shocking considering that Erceg is a pretty good wrestler.   On a positive note, Erceg landed 111 significant strikes in that fight, getting his average to over 4.5 per minute. He also got hit 125 times, so his average is now 4.20 strikes absorbed per 60 seconds.

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