Undefeated flyweight prospect Tatsuro Taira will make his headlining debut on Saturday against former title challenger Alex Perez in the main event of UFC Fight Night: Perez vs. Taira. Their five-round showdown that carries title-shot implications will anchor the main UFC fight card from the UFC Apex facility in Las Vegas. The No. 13-ranked Taira is undefeated in five UFC outings and will likely crack the top 10 in the UFC rankings should he register his first victory over a ranked opponent. The No. 5-ranked Perez is coming off his first victory in four years and can reestablish himself as a potential title-contender if he can turn back the rising prospect.
Taira is a -180 favorite (risk $180 to win $100), while Perez comes back at +150 in the latest UFC Fight Night: Perez vs. Taira odds. The co-main event features a matchup of middleweight prospects as Ikram Aliskerov (-900) meets Antonio Trocoli (+600). Before locking in your picks for UFC Fight Night: Perez vs. Taira, make sure you see the MMA predictions and betting advice from SportsLine expert Daniel Vithlani.
From breaking down film and following fighters and their camps closely, to tracking sharp action and betting market signals, Vithlani covers the breadth of the MMA betting landscape top to bottom. He also trains amateur boxers and speaks regularly with MMA fighters to understand the sport’s nuances.
Vithlani made his SportsLine debut in January 2023 and swept the main card for UFC 283 with a 5-0 record and has been a consistent winner ever since. Over the past 12 UFC pay-per-view events, Vithlani has gone 8-4 on main-event picks and his main-card selections in that span have netted his followers a profit of more than $1,500.
His highlights include predicting an upset for Sean O’Malley (+210) against Aljamain Sterling (-250) at UFC 292 as part of a 4-1 main card and his UFC 299 winners included underdog selections on Poirier (+190) against Saint Denis (-230) and Michael Page (+110) against Kevin Holland (-130). Anyone who has followed him has seen massive returns.
Now, with UFC Fight Night: Perez vs. Taira in sight, Vithlani has studied the card from top to bottom and released his top UFC picks. You can only see those picks at SportsLine.
UFC Fight Night: Perez vs. Taira preview
It’s rare that a fighter with losses in three of his last four outings could still maintain a top-five ranking in the UFC, but such is the state of the depth-lacking flyweight division. The 125-pound division has been under consideration for elimination by the UFC brass several times but survived the most recent audit because of an uptick of fighters with star potential.
In fairness, Perez (25-8) is 7-4 in 11 UFC appearances since his 2017 debut, and three of the four losses have come to former champions or title contenders. Even so, a three-fight losing streak over a four-year span would usually be enough to at least send a prominent contender to the bottom of the top-15 rankings.
Perez’s misfortune started with a title-fight loss to Deiveson Figueiredo, who has since moved up to bantamweight. Perez then lost fights to current champion Alexandre Pantoja and Muahmmad Mokaev, who is now ranked No. 6 in the division.
Because of the pedigree of his opponents and lack of competition, the 32-year-old Californian was still considered a viable flyweight contender. He finally backed up that assertion with a second-round knockout of No. 8-ranked Matheus Nicolau in April, earning a performance bonus in the process.
Now, Perez serves as the litmus test for a surging prospect in a division in desperate need of new blood at the top. Taira (15-0) is a former champion in the Shooto promotion who has impressed by winning his first five UFC outings, with three stoppages on his ledger.
The 24-year-old Japanese fighter showed a strong stand-up game with a second-round knockout of fellow prospect Carlos Hernandez last September. He has four knockouts and seven submissions among his 15 professional wins, and an impressive performance Saturday could see him vault into the top-five rankings. You can only see who to back at UFC Fight Night here.
UFC Fight Night predictions
We’ll share one of Vithlani’s UFC Fight Night picks here: He is going with Nate Maness (-450) to get past Jimmy Flick (+370) in a battle of flyweight prospects on the preliminary card.
Maness (15-3) is a versatile prospect who has gone 4-2 in six UFC appearances while notching three stoppage victories. The 32-year-old Tennessee native earned a performance bonus for his first-round knockout of Mateus Mendonca last October.
Flick (17-7) is a grappling ace who has seen both of his UFC victories come by submission. The 33-year-old has 16 submissions among his 17 career victories.
“Flick is just too susceptible to damage. If Maness can keep this fight standing, he can knock Flick out inside of 5 minutes,” Vithlani told SportsLine. See who else to back here.
How to make UFC Fight Night picks
Vithlani also has strong picks for Perez vs. Taira and other bouts on the UFC Fight Night card. He’s also backing a fighter who “has the superior talent and all-round skillset” to emerge with a dominant victory. Those picks and Vithlani’s analysis are only available at SportsLine.
Who wins UFC Fight Night: Perez vs. Taira, and how exactly does each fight end? Visit SportsLine now to get detailed picks on UFC Fight Night, all from the MMA expert who profited more than $1,500 on UFC main-card picks, and find out.
UFC Fight Night odds, fight card
See full UFC Fight Night picks, predictions, best bets here.
Tatsuro Taira (-180) vs. Alex Perez (+150)
Ikram Aliskerov (-900) vs. Antonio Trocoli (+600)
Timothy Cumaba (-195) vs. Lucas Almeida (+165)
Douglas Silva de Andrade (+105) vs. Miles Johns (-125)
Assu Almabayev (-550) vs. Jose Johnson (+410)
Brady Hiestand (+150) vs. Garrett Armfield (-175)
Tagir Ulanbekov (-245) vs. Joshua Van (+185)
Nate Maness (-450) vs. Jimmy Flick (+370)
Adam Fugitt (+105) vs. Josh Quinlan (-125)
Carli Judice (+200) vs. Gabriella Fernandes (-240)
Jeka Saragih (-355) vs. Westin Wilson (+280)
Josefine Knutsson (-245) vs. Julia Polastri (+200)
