UFC Fight Night prediction — Alex Perez vs. Tatsuro Taira: Fight card, odds, start time, live stream

Alex Perez and Tatsuro Taira have a lot at stake at UFC Fight Night if the men’s flyweight’s recent yellow card is anything to go by. Steve Erceg was given a title shot despite being ranked 10th in the official UFC flyweight rankings, suggesting the division is open to new contenders.

Perez (25-8) turned around a career in jeopardy. Perez was down 0-3 when he replaced Matheus Nicolau on short notice at UFC Fight Night on April 27. Perez was coming off defeats to quality opponents like Alexandre Pantoja and Deiveson Figueiredo, but was still an underdog against Nicolau. A second-round knockout revived his UFC career and earned him a $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus. Perez, now ranked 5th in the division, is looking to secure a second shot at the UFC title and avenge his 2022 loss to champion Pantoja.

“People ask me, ‘Why did you take this fight? Could you have a guy in the top five?’ I’m just here to fight,” Perez counted reporters at Thursday’s media day. “If I keep winning, the title fight will be here. This guy is a great prospect.

“He’s very good. If you’ve seen his fights, he’s managed to take people down, he’s managed to submit people, he’s managed to go to a decision. I’m excited for the challenge. I want to be the guy who solves that puzzle.”

Taira (15-0) is one of the more interesting rising prospects. The Japanese fighter is a perfect 15-0 and has a proven ability to win by any means. His 5-0 UFC tenure includes wins by knockout, submission and decision. Taira faces a huge escalation challenge against a top-five opponent in his first UFC main fight. Japan has never been crowned UFC champion despite the country’s rich MMA history. Taira could be close to becoming the country’s first champion with a victory on Saturday.

“I want to show my technique, skill, everything I have – I always try to do everything”, Taira he said via an interpreter at Media Day. “Alex Perez is complete. He has everything. I can beat him in every aspect. That’s my preparation for this training.

“My target is Pantoja. He recently fought five rounds [against Erceg]so I’m going to beat him in the third round.”

This week’s UFC Fight Night is completely devoid of star power. Ikram Aliskerov x Andre Muniz was the big selling point for the most hardcore fans, but the fight was completely dismantled. Muniz was injured and Aliskerov was subsequently removed from the card to replace Khamzat Chimaev against Robert Whittaker in the main event of UFC Fight Night on June 22.

Below is the rest of the fight card for Saturday with the latest odds before we come up with a prediction and pick the main event.

UFC Fight Night card, odds

UFC Fight Night Viewing Information

Date: June 15 | Start time: 10pm ET (main card)
Location: UFC Apex – Las Vegas
Television channel: ESPN+

Prediction

Alex Perez x Tatsuro Taira: I made the mistake of picking against Perez last time. I’m prepared to make the same mistake again. Taira faces a significant step up in the competition, but I think he’s up to the challenge. Taira is a complete fighter, with incredible punch precision and an intelligent finishing game. Perez has one of the best takedown defenses among active flyweights, but Taira’s use of sweeps and sweeps should take him down quite often. Taira plays well on the ground and Perez’s biggest weakness is his submission defense. Perez is arguably the best striker, but Taira is rapidly improving in that regard. The fight will likely be dictated by wrestling. Perez should offer significant resistance on that front, but Taira only needs a few openings over the 25 minutes to capitalize. Taira via SUB2