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Final Combating Championship (UFC) is simply in the future away from the upcoming UFC Vegas 98 blended martial arts (MMA) occasion, which is ready to go down tomorrow night time (Sat., Oct. 12, 2024) on ESPN+ from inside APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada. UFC Vegas 98 incorporates a flyweight primary occasion between Top 5 title contenders Brandon Royval and Tatsuro Taira, a five-round headliner with main title implications for early 2025 and past.
Earlier than we dive into the primary and co-main occasion, which incorporates the middleweight showdown between Brad Tavares and Jun Yong Park, take a look at Andrew Richardson’s “X-Issue” breakdown for the remainder of the UFC Vegas 98 primary card by clicking here. Get all the newest “Royval vs. Taira” odds and betting props courtesy of FanDuel proper here. For UFC Vegas 98 dwell outcomes and play-by-play click on here.
125 lbs.: Brandon Royval vs. Tatsuro Taira
Brandon “Uncooked Canine” Royval
Document: 16-7 | Age: 32 | Betting line: +235
Wins: 4 KO/TKO, 9 SUB, 3 DEC | Losses: 1 KO/TKO, 1 SUB, 5 DEC
Top: 5’9” | Attain: 68” | Stance: Southpaw
Vital Strikes Landed Per Minute: 4.33 | Hanging accuracy: 36%
Strikes Absorbed Per Minute: 3.42 | Hanging Protection: 46%
Takedown Common: 0.47 (60% accuracy) | Takedown Protection: 40%
Present Rating: No. 1 | Final battle: Break up resolution win over Brandon Moreno
Tatsuro Taira
Document: 16-0 | Age: 24 | Betting line: -290
Wins: 5 KO/TKO, 7 SUB, 4 DEC | Losses: 0 KO/TKO, 0 SUB, 0 DEC
Top: 5’7“ | Attain: 70” | Stance: Orthodox
Vital Strikes Landed Per Minute: 3.56 | Hanging accuracy: 65%
Strikes Absorbed Per Minute: 1.70 | Hanging Protection: 47%
Takedown Common: 2.35 (47% accuracy) | Takedown Protection: 62%
Present Rating: No. 5 | Final battle: Technical knockout win over Alex Perez
After an electrical run by way of the ranks of Legacy Combating Alliance (LFA), Brandon Royval migrated to the UFC roster in early 2020, pretzeling veteran flyweight Tim Elliott to seize the “W” in his Octagon debut. That victory is a part of a powerful 6-3 run with 4 finishes and he’s solely misplaced to 2 opponents: present flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja and former 125-pound titleholder Brandon Moreno — although “Uncooked Dawg” did handle to avenge that loss by splitting “Murderer Child” earlier this 12 months in Mexico Metropolis. Royval is a high-volume striker with dreadful accuracy however what he lacks in precision he greater than makes up for in frequency. For this weekend’s contest, the place the Coloradan defends his high spot within the division rankings, Royval should flip up the warmth and overwhelm his opponent, who doesn’t have the ferocity of “Uncooked Dawg” however does have the cleaner, extra refined method. Royval could have a two-inch benefit in top however give up two inches in attain.
There’s additionally the matter of Royval’s psychological state after witnessing a fatal shooting in Utah.
“I can’t actually communicate to anyone or communicate to anyone else, however I felt like I’ve discovered myself in quite a lot of sh*tty conditions, and I’ve been round quite a lot of sh*t that occurs,” Royval instructed reporters at the UFC Vegas 98 media day. “I really feel like I’m a little bit little bit of a sh*t magnet. So I’m not likely unfamiliar with some bizarre sh*t like that. However not essentially a capturing like that, however I did CPR like per week earlier than on one other dude in a automobile accident. So it’s been a loopy month. I might keep as distant from me as doable to be fully trustworthy. It’s been a loopy month. I’ve been threatened by crackheads, achieved CPR, been in a automobile accident, and the f*cking capturing and seeing somebody die. In any case. In all probability steer clear of me this week.”
Tatsuro Taira has a possibility to resurrect the Japanese MMA scene because it pertains to UFC. A lot of Japan’s high fighters have crossed over to the Octagon and are available up quick, like Yushin Okami, Yoshihiro Akiyama, and Takanori Gomi, amongst others. The promotion has definitely taken its candy time bringing Taira to the top of the category and this weekend’s headliner represents a substantial improve in competitors. Exterior of his victory over No. 6-ranked Alex Perez, which ended by the use of second-round damage, Taira has not confronted anybody ranked within the High 15 at 125 kilos. By comparability, eight of Royval’s 9 opponents are presently ranked contained in the High 15, which incorporates the present champion. It’s additionally value noting that Taira remains to be simply 24 and should not but be competing in his combating prime, taking up a 32 year-old veteran with expertise towards the most effective on the earth.
“I undoubtedly wish to present a big effect,” Taira instructed reporters at the UFC Vegas 98 media day. “I undoubtedly wish to present my energy. That’s one thing I wish to present on this battle. I’m undoubtedly centered on this one, however considering of title fights, I’ve at all times dreamed and thought concerning the title fights. It’s one thing that I at all times take into consideration. I’d like to have UFC again in Japan, and if I’m the star, I wish to be that star to carry that again to Japan.”
There’s a chance that Royval tries to strike from vary or outmaneuver his Japanese foe, by which case I feel he provides the battle away. There’s additionally the chance that Taira leans on his newfound clinch recreation to close down “Uncooked Canine’s” fists of fury. I’ve a sneaking suspicion Royval steps on the gasoline and makes this battle ugly, overwhelming Taira with high-volume, high-pressure offense, forcing the flyweight future star to fold halfway by way of the battle.
Prediction: Royval def. Taira by technical knockout
185 lbs.: Brad Tavares vs. Jun Yong Park
Brad Tavares
Document: 20-9 | Age: 36 | Betting line: +164
Wins: 5 KO/TKO, 2 SUB, 13 DEC | Losses: 5 KO/TKO, 0 SUB, 4 DEC
Top: 6’1“ | Attain: 74” | Stance: Orthodox
Vital Strikes Landed Per Minute: 3.38 | Hanging accuracy: 43%
Strikes Absorbed Per Minute: 3.15 | Hanging Protection: 55%
Takedown Common: 0.78 (26% accuracy) | Takedown Protection: 81%
Present Rating: Unranked | Final battle: Technical knockout loss to Gregory Rodrigues
Jun Yong “Iron Turtle” Park
Document: 17-6 | Age: 33 | Betting line: -198
Wins: 5 KO/TKO, 6 SUB, 6 DEC | Losses: 1 KO/TKO, 2 SUB, 3 DEC
Top: 5’10“ | Attain: 73” | Stance: Orthodox
Vital Strikes Landed Per Minute: 4.53 | Hanging accuracy: 50%
Strikes Absorbed Per Minute: 3.30 | Hanging Protection: 53%
Takedown Common: 1.83 (50% accuracy) | Takedown Protection: 57%
Present Rating: Unranked | Final battle: Break up resolution loss to Andre Muniz
Brad Tavares is an effective instance of how you can carve out a profitable UFC profession with out being able to make a run on the division title. The Hawaiian retains an lively battle schedule, wins as a rule, and carries himself professionally each inside and outdoors the cage. Now 36, Tavares is trying to escape of a hunch, having dropped three of his final 4. That features his technical knockout loss to Brazilian wrecking ball Gregory Rodrigues at UFC Vegas 86 again in February. Tavares does every thing good however nothing nice and greater than half his wins have come by the use of resolution. That stated, you could possibly most likely make the identical evaluation about his “Sin Metropolis” opponent, middleweight “Turtle” Jun Yong Park.
“He’s very well-rounded and places MMA collectively,” Tavares instructed reporters on the UFC Vegas 98 media day. “I don’t suppose he’s a specialist or an skilled wherever, and clearly he doesn’t have the kickboxing or boxing accolades, the wrestling and even the jiu-jitsu. However he does put all of them collectively effectively. He’s a really full MMA fighter. I feel his greatest attribute is his toughness, simply how robust he’s.”
“I’ve watched him in fights the place you suppose, ‘Okay, this man is completed’ and he pulls it out, similar to (middleweight champion) Dricus (Du Plessis),” Tavares continued. “However I don’t suppose he’s nowhere close to as harmful as Dricus. Truthfully, I feel that he’s going to wish to go to the bottom the place he seems like he has his finest benefit. But when it finally ends up being a kickboxing (battle), I’ll take that each one day.”
Jun Yong Park has but to compete in 2024 due to a medical withdrawal earlier this 12 months when he was first paired towards Tavares at UFC Vegas 94 in July.
So what the heck occurred?
“So there was a small scar or small scratch on the again of my ear, and the doctor stated it was staph an infection, so the battle acquired canceled, sadly,” Park instructed reporters on the UFC Vegas 98 media day. “It was sort of whack. I instructed (Tavares) what occurred and I used to be sorry. We each reduce weight, and we had been each trying ahead to this, and sadly, it didn’t occur. Brad was very understanding. Issues occur, you recognize?”
Like Tavares, Park was additionally obliterated by Gregory Rodrigues after they went to struggle at UFC Vegas 41 in late 2021. Park rebounded to seize 4 straight wins — three by submission — earlier than dropping a break up resolution to Andre Muniz at UFC Vegas 83. “The Iron Turtle” is a notoriously robust out and is the sort of middleweight who will lace ‘em up towards anybody within the 185-pound division.
“I’m an organization man and I’ll battle whoever the UFC says,” Park continued. “Once I acquired the contract and it stated Brad Tavares once more, it was simply one other day on the job. Nothing actually modified for the gameplan. It’s the identical opponent. I’m the identical man. The one factor that’s modified is we’re going to reduce weight twice for this battle.”
These fighters are very comparable in model and can seemingly cancel one another out, although it stays to be seen how a lot Park makes use of his wrestling. When push involves shove, notably throughout a three-round affair, it’s laborious to choose towards a struggle horse like Tavares.
Prediction: Tavares def. Park by resolution
Don’t overlook to take a look at the remainder of the UFC Vegas 98 primary card predictions RIGHT HERE.
MMAmania.com will ship LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow protection of the whole UFC Vegas 98 battle card RIGHT HERE, beginning with the ESPN+ preliminary card matchups that are scheduled to start at 4 p.m. ET, adopted by the remaining primary card steadiness on ESPN+ at 7 p.m. ET.
To take a look at the newest and biggest UFC Vegas 98 information and notes be sure you hit up our complete occasion archive here. For the up to date and finalized “Royval vs. Taira” battle card and ESPN+ lineup click on here.
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