UFC Fight Night: Royval vs. Taira Preview and Predictions

The UFC marches forward this fall back at their home inside the UFC Apex after a championship doubleheader pay-per-view in Salt Lake City. Atop this weekend’s fight card is a flyweight title eliminator between former title challenger Brandon Royval and rising star Tatsuro Taira. Royval got back on track by defeating former champion Brandon Moreno by split decision in his last outing. He is hoping that, with a standout performance over the undefeated Taira, he will have proved himself worthy of a second crack at the seemingly indestructible Alexandre Pantoja. Taira has continued his perfect record since signing with the UFC, rattling off six consecutive wins under the promotion’s banner. A seventh victory in a row, in a talent-rich division like flyweight, should be more than enough to set him up for a title shot.

The co-main event should also be an exciting, highly technical matchup between two incredibly talented fighters. Despite a lackluster record lately, Brad Tavares remains a fun to watch combatant who can put himself in position to win fights against any middleweight on the planet. His opponent, Jun Yong Park, is coming off of a loss but has won four of his last five fights. He dropped a split-decision to Andre Muniz last time out and will try and take the judges out of the equation against Tavares.

UFC Fight Night Royval vs. Taira airs live in its entirety on ESPN+ starting at 4 p.m. ET. Combat Press writers Andrew Sumian and Matt Petela preview the action in this week’s Toe-toe-Toe.

Tatsuro Taira has never tasted defeat in his professional career; can Brandon Royval hand him his first loss?

Sumian: In regards to the UFC fight night main event ranking scale, this one is as close as you can get to a 10/10. The winner of this match is most certainly next in line to fight for the UFC flyweight title which makes the stakes for this flyweight matchup extremely significant.

Tatsuro Taira has been a breath of fresh air since joining the UFC in May of 2022 and has compiled a 6-0 record in the promotion. Once Taira gets a hold of you, it is really difficult to separate and usually results in a win for the Japanese prospect. However, the level of competition for Taira has been questionable, at best since joining the promotion. His most high profile win came in June of 2024 and certainly ended in controversy if you ask me. Taira was able to defeat Alex Perez by utilizing his grappling and forcing an injury that caused significant damage to the knee of the California native. It is unclear if Taira truly meant to hurt Perez but the win was far less impressive if that is the case. Nevertheless, Taira will take on a huge step up in competition when he faces Brandon Royval this coming Saturday.

Brandon Royval is certainly one of the most likable flyweights on the UFC roster. Yes, his nickname is certainly questionable but his “got or get got” style leads to extremely entertaining fights and this has allowed him to remain not only popular, but a top ranked flyweight for several years. Royval is fairly well rounded and has the ability to both submit and knockout his opponents when the opportunity rises. He has struggled with distance separation in his past fights and the majority of his opponents look to lock him up and ensure he is unable to fight at range. If Royval can get past Taira this Saturday, a rematch with Alexandre Pantoja is guaranteed to come next.

This fight will ultimately come down to distance. If Taira can close the gap and stay within Royval’s range, he will be able to control the Colorado native and win a competitive decision victory. For Royval, staying clear of Taira’s grappling and utilizing his range is key and will be the deciding factor in this bout. Despite the hype of Taira, Royval will be the one to walk away with a victory this coming Saturday. He will be able to implement a clear and concise game plan and hand Taira his first professional loss.

Petela: Flyweights are fun. It still boggles my mind that not too long ago the division was potentially on the chopping block. These fighters move lightning fast and at the top of the division there is no room to be lacking in any facet of mixed martial arts. Whether the fight is entirely a kickboxing match of a grappling match with ground strikes, this one will be super high level.

I’m genuinely not sure who is going to win this fight. Andrew is right that there is a clear strength of schedule advantage for Royval but the old fashioned “eye test” tells me that Taira is absolutely elite. They both have tremendous grappling skills, which I think will negate each other, and they both have the ability to finish fights with their hands. Something tells me that this clash doesn’t go the distance. Pretty much a coin flip in my eyes, I’ll pick Taira to land the fight finishing punch and earn himself a crack at the flyweight championship.

Brad Tavares has lost three of his last four fights; can he get back on track in his rescheduled bout with Jun Yong Park

Petela: Yes. Watching Brad Tavares fight has often had me thinking that on the right night he could beat anyone in the middleweight division. He struggles with consistency but there is no lack of talent. When it comes to the striking, Tavares will have a bit of an advantage. I believe he is quicker and puts together more technical combinations that Park, who hits like a truck but has a tendency to be more laborious with his attacks. On the canvas, there is a major discrepancy in talent with Park being the more talented grappler. The problem is that Tavares is nearly impossible to take down. After a few failed takedown attempts, Park will realize that it isn’t worth the energy expenditure to keep trying to change levels unsuccessfully and this will become a kickboxing match in MMA gloves. Tavares will pick Park apart and earn a much needed decision victory.

Sumian: No argument here. This should be a “get right” fight for Tavares who is talented and still able to compete at the top level. Park is no pushover but this is ultimately Tavares’s fight to lose. He will likely win a competitive 29-28 decision and get back on track.

What one fighter’s UFC career is on the ropes at this event?

Sumian: It is hard to imagine a world where Daniel Rodriguez remains on the UFC roster if he suffers a fourth straight defeat. Yes, his losses have come to upper tier competition but the window for Rodriguez’s UFC campaign is closing fast if he cannot find a way to defeat Alex Morono.

Petela: Dan Argueta. He has one win inside the UFC, two losses, and two no contests. He has had a weird run inside the promotion and if he doesn’t deliver something memorable this weekend it might be time for Argueta to start fighting in a different organization.

Which fight is the sleeper match-up on this card?

Petela: Jonathan Pearce vs. Pat Sabatini. These two featherweights have a ton of talent but have stumbled a bit in their UFC journeys. They are both in need of a win to re-establish themselves as a player in the future of the division. Regardless of who wins, these two are going to put on a show early on in the prelims.

Sumian: Grant Dawson versus Rafa Garcia should be a fun one while it lasts. Both are grappling gurus and will likely put on a fast paced yet exciting fight for as long as it lasts. The winner will likely find themselves facing top 20 competition in their next UFC outing.

Who takes home the “Performance of the Night” honors?

Sumian: Jared Gooden. He will find a way to get Chidi Njoukani to the ground and win by way of submission or ground and pound.

Petela: Grant Dawson. He bounced back from his stunning loss to the artist formerly known as Bobby Green with a decision win over Joe Solecki but in order to really get his swagger back KGD needs a finish. That is exactly what he gets this weekend with a standout knockout over Rafa Garcia.

Pair this card with…

Petela: An ice pack. This fight card is going to be packed with exciting finishes that have you jumping out of your seat. That is fantastic, but these days chairs and couches are so comfortable they are hard to get out of quickly without injury. Don’t be surprised if after a third or fourth knockout you end up with a sore hip.

Sumian: Lean meat and veggies. Nobody gets too excited about eating their lean meat and veggies but it is an essential meal that provides various nutrients that the body needs. This fight night is that essential meal that the UFC needs at this point in time. This card features various fights that are important for the growth of numerous divisions and will be vital in creating matchups in the coming months. Nobody is going to cancel plans to watch this card but it will provide fight fans the essentials necessary to keep things moving in a fast and busy MMA world.