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UFC Vegas 98 takes place Saturday, so it's time to break down the top fights, plus make DFS picks and predictions for the key matchups on the card.
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Scheduled against No. 1 contender
Tairo is scheduled to compete against fellow flyweight Brandon Royval in a five-round fight at UFC Vegas 98 on Oct. 12, per Marcel Dorff of Eurosport.nl.
ANALYSIS
The two will main event UFC Vegas 98. Perez earned that honor after his previous fight, which ended in a scary TKO to Alex Perez. A win over Royval would make Taira the No. 1 contender to UFC Flyweight Champion Alexandre Pantoja. Royval maintained his No. 1 contendership by defeating a former flyweight champion in Brandon Moreno, something the rising Japanese superstar has not done yet.
The two will main event UFC Vegas 98. Perez earned that honor after his previous fight, which ended in a scary TKO to Alex Perez. A win over Royval would make Taira the No. 1 contender to UFC Flyweight Champion Alexandre Pantoja. Royval maintained his No. 1 contendership by defeating a former flyweight champion in Brandon Moreno, something the rising Japanese superstar has not done yet.
Picks up first main event victory
Taira defeated Alex Perez via TKO (injury) at 2:59 of Round 2 at UFC Fight Night on Saturday in Las Vegas.
ANALYSIS
It goes in the books as an injury defeat, but the truth of the matter is that Taira did plenty of good work immediately prior to the stoppage which left his opponent in a vulnerable position. Undefeated and one of the top prospects in the sport today, Taira fought to even terms with Perez until early in Round 2, at which point he pushed forward for a takedown and got it easily. He quickly took Perez's back. Alex worked his way to his feet with Taira draped on his back, at which point the former appeared to injure his knee on the way back to the ground. The most important aspect of this fight for Taira is that Perez was by far the best opponent he had faced to date and he didn't appear overwhelmed in the slightest. Taira won't turn 25 years of age until late-January. He's a top-tier prospect in arguably the thinnest division in the sport. He also walks away with a $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus for the finish here, adding to the momentum.
It goes in the books as an injury defeat, but the truth of the matter is that Taira did plenty of good work immediately prior to the stoppage which left his opponent in a vulnerable position. Undefeated and one of the top prospects in the sport today, Taira fought to even terms with Perez until early in Round 2, at which point he pushed forward for a takedown and got it easily. He quickly took Perez's back. Alex worked his way to his feet with Taira draped on his back, at which point the former appeared to injure his knee on the way back to the ground. The most important aspect of this fight for Taira is that Perez was by far the best opponent he had faced to date and he didn't appear overwhelmed in the slightest. Taira won't turn 25 years of age until late-January. He's a top-tier prospect in arguably the thinnest division in the sport. He also walks away with a $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus for the finish here, adding to the momentum.
Will face Alex Perez
Taira will take on Alex Perez in a flyweight matchup at UFC Vegas 93 on June 15, Damon Martin of MMA Fighting reports.
ANALYSIS
The undefeated Taira was originally scheduled to fight Joshua Van on June 1 but has since shifted to a headline opportunity against Perez. He last stepped into the ring against Carlos Hernandez, who was defeated via TKO.
The undefeated Taira was originally scheduled to fight Joshua Van on June 1 but has since shifted to a headline opportunity against Perez. He last stepped into the ring against Carlos Hernandez, who was defeated via TKO.
Now fighting at UFC 302
Taira will take on Joshua Van in a flyweight matchup at UFC 302 on June 1, MMAJunkie.com reports.
ANALYSIS
Taira was at one point set to take on Tim Elliot only a few weeks from this announcement, but he'll get end up getting pushed to a more prominent fight card against a more dangerous opponent. Van is unbeaten under the UFC banner, but has yet to face an opponent the caliber of the undefeated Taira. Taira will enter with big height and reach advantages here, in addition to an edge in offensive wrestling. Van's big advantage is in striking volume, though the smaller sample size must be noted.
Taira was at one point set to take on Tim Elliot only a few weeks from this announcement, but he'll get end up getting pushed to a more prominent fight card against a more dangerous opponent. Van is unbeaten under the UFC banner, but has yet to face an opponent the caliber of the undefeated Taira. Taira will enter with big height and reach advantages here, in addition to an edge in offensive wrestling. Van's big advantage is in striking volume, though the smaller sample size must be noted.
Will face Tim Elliott
Taira will face Tim Elliott in a flyweight bout at UFC Vegas 92 on May 18, Marcel Dorff of Eurosport.nl reports.
ANALYSIS
Taira has a sky-high long-term ceiling, and while he's only beginning his UFC career, he remains undefeated and is only 24 years old. Taira owns a 5-0 record at the UFC level, with his latest win coming over Carlos Hernandez on Dec. 9, but facing an experienced fighter in Elliott could be complicated for him, particularly due to Elliott's elite grappling ability.
Taira has a sky-high long-term ceiling, and while he's only beginning his UFC career, he remains undefeated and is only 24 years old. Taira owns a 5-0 record at the UFC level, with his latest win coming over Carlos Hernandez on Dec. 9, but facing an experienced fighter in Elliott could be complicated for him, particularly due to Elliott's elite grappling ability.