UFC Fight Night: Royval vs. Taira Fight Card, Predictions, & Odds

MMA action is back inside the UFC APEX in Las Vegas this weekend, as ranked flyweight athletes take center stage in the main event of the upcoming fight night card. No. 1-ranked contender Brandon Royval will face the No. 5-rated divisional challenger Tatsuro Taira.

The Octagon never rests 😤@BrandonRoyval vs @TatsuroTaira fight week is HERE!

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— UFC (@ufc) October 7, 2024

Both are coming off a big win from their previous outings, but Tatsuro heads into the match as the betting favorite with -230 UFC odds due to his perfect MMA record. Royval, on the other hand, takes the underdog label with +190 odds.

Brandon Royval Recent Fight Results

Royval was a former LFA champion when he was signed by the UFC in 2020. He immediately collected two wins under the promotion and defeated Tim Elliott and Kai Kara-France, but also absorbed back-to-back losses in his next two fights to split his first four matches in the UFC.

Following that stretch, the American athlete went on a three-fight win streak to earn a title shot to Alexandre Pantoja’s flyweight belt in December. However, he came up short with a unanimous decision defeat. In his previous fight in February, Royval avenged his loss to Brandon Moreno and beat him via a close split decision victory to return to the win column.

Tatsuro Taira Recent Fight Results

Taira was one of the fastest-rising MMA stars from Japan and dominated the local scene. He recorded 10 straight wins before the Las Vegas-based promotion noticed his talents and signed him in May 2022. The 24-year-old had a dream UFC debut and unanimously beat Carlos Candelario.

Since then, he has gone on a tear, sweeping his next five matches and scoring wins over CJ Vergara, Jesus Aguilar, Édgar Cháirez, Carlos Hernandez, and, most recently, Alex Perez to crack a spot in the top five rankings of the 125-pound weight class.

Brandon Royval vs. Tatsuro Taira: Tale of the Tape

Brandon Royval vs. Tatsuro Taira: Fight Analysis

The tale of the tape between Royval and Taira sees 2 inches of height and 0.5 inches of leg reach advantage for the former, but the latter will have 2 inches of reach edge in this exciting clash of top five flyweight contenders.

Their difference in physical attributes are not that significant against each other, but the most significant discrepancy between them is their age, which is a double-edged sword. At 32, Royval packs more experience in the fight, having been able to debut in the pro ranks in 2012. Furthermore, he has been in the UFC longer than Taira and has fought for the championship.

Meanwhile, Taira will be eight years younger than Royval, at 24, giving him the upper hand in youth and athleticism. The Japanese rising star is still on the cusp of his prime years as an athlete and hasn’t suffered any significant injuries in his professional career.

Both have a stylistically well-rounded MMA style but have different fight bases. Royval is more of a striker, and Taira uses more grappling from his arsenal. Despite these differences, both can still fight competently in both areas.

Although their resumes and fighting styles are equally impressive, I still see Taira winning the fight. His grappling skills are far superior to Royval’s, and he can surely secure a takedown against the former title challenger multiple times during the match.

This is not a knock on Royval’s grappling skills, but it was exposed during his second match with Pantoja in December, where he had virtually no answer to his grappling attacks. Taira would try to replicate that strategy and rip off a page from Pantoja’s book to secure a convincing victory.

Official Prediction: Unanimous decision victory for Tatsuro Taira.