UFC Vegas 98 Main Event Best Bet
A successful trip to Utah last weekend makes way for back-to-back events at the UFC Apex before they hit the road again for UFC 308 at the end of the month. 13 fights make up this weekend’s UFC Vegas 98 card, with all eyes on the flyweight main event that could produce a number one contender. Read more UFC Vegas 98 main event best bet.
Brandon Royval looks for another crack at the title as he comes off a win that saw him avenge a loss from 2020.
Tatsuro Taira aims for win #17 in as many fights while cementing him as the next big superstar out of Japan.
Will the veteran experience of Royval reign supreme? Or will the new kid on the block assert himself amongst the top 3 in the division? Read on to see how this intriguing battle at 125 lbs matches up and who should come out on top.
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Brandon Royval
Royval started off hot in the UFC with back-to-back finishes over tenured UFC fighters like Tim Elliott and Kai Kara-France, but then he suffered an unfortunate shoulder injury in his first meeting with Brandon Moreno at the end of 2020. He returned about 9 months later and came up short against the eventual champion, Alexandre Pantoja, where he was submitted in the second round.
That made way for three straight wins, including two finishes, that set up Royval’s first title shot against the last fighter to hand him a defeat. It was not meant to be his night as he got stuck in the grappling realm for 25 minutes and lost a decision. Royval clearly has a great head on his shoulders because he quickly brushed that off and accepted a short notice main event slot against another fighter with a UFC win over him, Brandon Moreno. Although the official result says split decision, it felt like Royval did more than enough to warrant the win that night and position himself close to another title shot.
Coming into the UFC, Royval would thrive by creating chaos and finding success within it. Aggressive and perpetual forward pressure with mediocre technique would cause havoc for some fighters, but others were able to take advantage of it and use it against him.
An active striking game and an active grappling game always made him a difficult opponent to prepare for. Since the second loss to Pantoja, though, we are seeing a more disciplined and tactical approach from Royval rather than looking to just overwhelm his opponents. He used a balanced range-striking game to touch Moreno up from distance with volume and stinging shots down the pipe. I was also impressed by his ability to nullify control time from his opponents so he could get back to what was so successful for him, the striking.
Tatsuro Taira
Yushin Okami and Kyoji Horiguchi led the way for Japanese fighters in the UFC within the last 15 years, they now make way for a new crop of up-and-coming prospects led by Taira. Taira made his UFC debut back in May 2022 and has gradually taken steps up in competition the entire way.
Four of his six wins have come by finish, most recently over former title challenger, Alex Perez. Although it is listed as an injury, it came about due to the movements and actions of Taira. At only 24 years old, many expected him to take an even slower road to the top of the division, but it’s hard to slow his progress down if he keeps beating whoever the UFC puts in front of him.
Grappling is the main route of attack for Taira. He shows wizard-level abilities on the mat when he gets opponents there. From his control to his submission abilities to even his scrambling, he’s very tough to deal with.
His striking is slowly coming along as well, proven by the knockout victory he had over Carlos Hernandez back in December. I would like to see him continue improving his wrestling game so we can see him look to drag fights to the ground more effectively, which is where he is most dangerous. Regardless, whatever approach he is taking is clearly working.
The Pick
This is a very tough fight to call considering the stylistic clash. Taira has the capabilities of doing what Pantoja did to Royval. However, if he can’t get the fight to the ground, Royval could have success with his output and distance striking. No matter how I spin it in my head, I tend to believe this fight will get into deep waters, which is why the over 3.5 is the spot that catches my eye the most.
I can’t stomach playing Taira at chalk against someone as experienced and unorthodox as Royval, especially when I’m not completely sold on the Japanese fighter either. Neither can I man up and take the plus money on Royval because of the glaring holes in his game. Thus, I’ll lean on this leaking into the fourth, maybe even fifth round and trusting in the total.
