Brandon Royval vs Tatsuro Taira at UFC Fight Night 244 | Preview & Prediction
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We have a blockbuster for the main event in the flyweight division as top contender Brandon Royval faces the surging Tatsuro Taira in what promises to be a fitting finale to a great card at UFC Fight Night 244
BRANDON ROYVAL VS TATSURO TAIRA FACTS
When is UFC Fight Night 244? UK – the preliminary card starts at 9:00pm on Saturday October 12th, 2024, followed by the main card at 12:00am (Sunday) / USA – 4:00pm/7:00pm ET and 1:00pm/4:00pm PT
Where is UFC Fight Night 244? UFC Apex, Las Vegas, USA
Where can I get tickets for UFC Fight Night 244? Click here for the latest ticket information for UFC Fight Night 244
What TV channel is UFC Fight Night 244 on? UK – TNT Sports / USA – ESPN+
Where can I stream UFC Fight Night 244? UK – TNT Sports subscribers can stream the event online via the TNT Sports website and discovery+ / USA – ESPN+ & UFC Fight Pass
For viewers in the United States, UFC Fight Night 244 will be shown live on ESPN+ and you can sign up for access as part of a Disney Bundle here!
What time are Brandon Royval and Tatsuro Taira expected to walk out? 2:45am UK / 9:45pm US ET / 6:45pm US PT
UFC Fight Night 244 Main Card
Brandon Royval vs Tatsuro Taira (Flyweight)
Brad Tavares vs Park Jun-Yong (Middleweight)
Chidi Njokuani vs Jared Gooden (Welterweight)
Grant Dawson vs Rafa García (Lightweight)
Daniel Rodriguez vs Alex Morono (Welterweight)
Abdul Razak Alhassan vs Josh Fremd (Middleweight)
UFC Fight Night 244 Prelims
C.J. Vergara vs Ramazan Temirov (Flyweight)
Jonathan Pearce vs Pat Sabatini (Featherweight)
Themba Gorimbo vs Niko Price (Welterweight)
Sean Sharaf vs Junior Tafa (Heavyweight)
Julia Polastri vs Cory McKenna (Women’s Strawweight)
Daniel Argueta vs Cody Haddon (Bantamweight)
Clayton Carpenter vs Lucas Rocha (Flyweight)
BRANDON ROYVAL: FINAL FIGHT ON CONTRACT FOR ROYVAL
Brandon Royval (16-7) got a vital split decision win last time out as he edged past Brandon Moreno in February. That followed a second defeat to Alexandre Pantoja for the UFC Flyweight Championship as the title just keeps eluding the 32-year-old. The win over Moreno was key for Royval as he had lost the first fight by TKO back in 2020 so it will give him huge confidence after losing the title shot. This is the final fight for him on his current UFC contract and the difference between win or loss will be significant for him financially.
TATSURO TAIRA: JAPANESE SUPERSTAR EN ROUTE TO MAKING HISTORY
Japanese superstar Tatsuro Taira (16-0) puts his 100% record on the line but as usual, the 24-year-old will likely take it all in his stride. Taira was beating allcomers in other promotions before he got his shot in the UFC back in 2022. He has continued to beat everybody put in front of him and he has six successive wins in the Octagon now. A win here will surely put him firmly in title shot contention.
BRANDON ROYVAL VS TATSURO TAIRA PREDICTION
Everybody always looks forward to the heavyweight main events and overlooks the lighter weights at times but do not sleep on this fight. It promises to be as entertaining as they come.
Tatsuro Taira is looking every bit the superstar and it is not just the fact that he has won all of his fights, but the manner in which he is doing it. Three of his last five fights have seen him pick up Performance of the Night bonuses and this bout is yet another test he will expect to rise to.
Royval is a quality operator and at another time, he would surely have been flyweight champion had it not bene for Alexandre Pantoja. A win here keeps him right in the mix. A loss will see Taira leapfrog him in the pecking order and hamper his negotiations for a new deal.
There’s always a degree of urgency and desperation for fighters when their contracts are up and we like that. This is a tough assignment though for Royval. Taira is highly skilled and has a real energy about him.
We fancy the Japanese star to keep the momentum and get the win here. This could very well go the distance and we see Taira getting that decision, but either way, expect this fight to be a thriller.
PREDICTION: TATSURA TAIRA TO WIN BY DECISION
