UFC Vegas 93 Main Event Pick
CANADA – It’s wild to think that the UFC was close to pulling the trigger on ending the flyweight division, especially considering the number of high-level prospects it is churning out. The prospects are morphing into main event fighters and to top it all off, they are producing fight of the night type battles. Henry Cejudo, Deiveson Figueiredo, and Brandon Moreno can be given the credit, but the changing of the guard is upon us. Read UFC Vegas 93 main event pick below.Â
Alex Perez looks to earn his second victory in as many months while showcasing that he was worthy of praise and potential the fanbase bestowed upon him back in 2020.
Japanese super-prospect, Tatsuro Taira, has his eyes set on his best performance yet at the biggest stage and platform he has been given.
Will the veteran turn away the prospect? Or will Taira add to his undefeated record and position himself in the title picture? Read on to see how these flyweights clash and what the best line to invest in is.
Hey, while you’re at it, click here to check out our Godzilla Wins Daily Staff Picks! 
Alex Perez
After a 6-1 run to start his UFC career positioned him in a title fight at the end of 2020, the rough run for Perez began. Tumultuous would not even begin to explain the myriad of issues and challenges Perez faced to return to the cage. He had six failed bookings between the end of 2020 and mid-2022, which is when he got obliterated by eventual-champion, Alexandre Pantoja. Another bevy of failed bouts led to his return earlier this year against standout prospect, Muhammad Mokaev.
Many expected him to fold quickly, but he put on a valiant performance that showed to the fanbase that he still had it. Perez earned a knockout victory in late April over Matheus Nicolau in a main event slot that firmly cemented his return to the top 10 of the weight class.
On the come up, Perez utilized a good deal of wrestling to establish his dominance and grind his opponents out. His striking started coming along and he would start finishing opponents with his hands, just as he did against Nicolau last time.
Perez just turned 32 in March but it’s obvious he is capable of performances of the past that eventually earned him a title shot. It’s not out of the realm of possibility that his current skill set can get him there again. Confidence was a big factor coming into his return and it seems he has reobtained it and in droves.
Tatsuro Taira
Japan has a few hot prospects in the UFC right now, but none hotter than Taira who has an unblemished 15-0 record. Between 2016-2017 he put together a 9-0 amateur run as well. In the UFC, he has put together 5 victories, finishing 3 of those opponents. He has taken gradual steps up in competition and at only 24 years old, he hopes to earn the biggest victory of them all this weekend.
Turning pro in mid-2018, Taira has finished 12 of his 15 opponents, largely with the grappling edge he brings to the table. His wrestling could still use a little work, especially against the level of opponents he’ll face in the UFC, but once he gets fights to the mat, he is nearly unstoppable.
Controlling his opponents seems to come with such ease. Not often is he overextending on grappling positions to seek out submissions or ground and pound victories. He allows his grappling to flow and let those openings show themselves. His striking is slowly coming together. Just as he showed in his last fight where he dropped Carlos Hernandez with a big shot down the pipe and followed up with ground and pound to secure the win. Gaining more experience is the name of the game for him at this stage, let’s see if he has bitten off more than he can chew this weekend.
The Pick
Taira has looked quite dominant in most of his victories. However, when he has been forced to strike for extended periods of time, things look a smidgen shaky.
Most notably, his fight against Edgar Chairez. Tairae was getting touched up in the striking realm, until Chairez unfortunately jumped for guillotines. That decision allowed Taira to win the rounds back with his top control. I believe we could see Perez replicate the striking success of Chairez. He can use his wrestling defensively to keep this fight upright, and batter Taira.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see Perez go back to his calf kicking style that he showed against Formiga. Just to take the bounce and pop off Taira’s entries. Perez has a big experience advantage, especially against legit opposition. He has the perfect all-around game to shut down the prospect. To get him at his current line is a steal, in my opinion.
