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'Big’ John McCarthy has explained how Kai Kara-France must have felt after the fight-ending body kick from Brandon Moreno. ‘The Assassin Baby’ beat Kara-France in the third round of their closely-contested fight at UFC 277 on July 30. The finish came courtesy of a thunderous kick to the liver that incapacitated the New Zealand fighter. Mexico’s Moreno followed up with a few punches for good measure, prompting the referee to step in and stop the fight.
Moreno beat Kara-France via third-round TKO and captured the interim UFC flyweight title — he’d previously beaten Kara-France via unanimous decision back in 2019.
On the Weighing In podcast, former MMA referee John McCarthy and former UFC lightweight Josh Thomson lauded Moreno and Kara-France for their incredible performances at UFC 277.
Thomson noted that the liver kick paralyzes a fighter. He added that they ought to flip a switch in their mind and try to keep fighting, whilst hoping that the debilitating pain fades.
John McCarthy compared fighting after getting hurt by a liver shot to fighting while throwing up. The MMA pioneer stated:
“The easiest way that I can explain it to people is: think about trying to fight while you’re throwing up… The ceasing of your body when you’re in that… That’s what [it is], but it’s more painful.”
Watch McCarthy discuss the topic at 35:45 in the video below:
John McCarthy believes Kai Kara-France was beating Brandon Moreno before the sudden stoppage
On the same edition of the Weighing In Podcast, McCarthy notably opined that Kai Kara-France was beating Brandon Moreno before the sudden stoppage at UFC 277. McCarthy highlighted that the fight was competitive throughout.
He praised Kara-France for opening up a deep cut on Moreno’s face with an excellent elbow. McCarthy pointed out that right before the liver kick, he felt as though Moreno was pressing a bit too much and the fight was going just how Kara-France wanted. McCarthy said:
“You’ve gotta love both guys. I love Kai Kara-France, and I love his attitude, and I love what he was trying to do in there. At times, man, he was winning that fight – beautiful sticking and moving, good accuracy. He had power. He made Brandon Moreno respect him.”
Watch McCarthy discuss the topic at 32:24 in the video below:
Despite his loss, Kai Kara-France remains as confident as ever and has vowed to make a triumphant return. It’s unclear as to whom he’ll fight next. Meanwhile, interim UFC flyweight champion Brandon Moreno is expected to face UFC flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo in a title unification matchup next.
