Perez vs Taira Prediction: Japan May Soon Have a UFC Champion

UFC's June schedule is stacked to the last weekend with four incredible events. And while the fight card this week is the least attractive, the main event could cause a major shift in the Flyweight rankings. Here is our Perez vs Taira prediction.

Perez vs Taira Prediction: An Unusual Matchup Between The #5 And #13

It is rare to see a matchup between opponents that are so far apart in the rankings but it is even weirder how Alex Perez remains in the Top 5 after the last four years.

However, this main event came to be after multiple cancellations on both sides. Alex Perez was originally supposed to face Tagir Ulanbekov and Taira first had Tim Elliott as an opponent, then Joshua Van, before finally getting scheduled against Perez.

Alex Perez Preview

Alex Perez is one of the most experienced fighters on the roster today. He began his professional career in 2011 and has amassed a record of 25-8. In 2020, he faced Deiveson Figueiredo for the UFC Flyweight championship and since that defeat, it all went downhill.

He returned to action against the current champion Alexandre Pantoja a year and a half later and lost again. And again, Perez remained on the sidelines for more than a year and a half before his return in March 2024.

First, he pulled out of a fight in December 2022 and then had an opponent pull out from his next scheduled bout in February 2023. In March 2023, Perez got a third cancelation in a row after picking up an injury.

ALEX PEREZ WITH A STATEMENT 😤#UFCVEGAS91 pic.twitter.com/sFqLGrSsLN

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) April 28, 2024

His return in March this year was not positive either. He lost to Muhammad Mokaev via decision. Perez returned to action almost immediately in April and finally got his first win since June 2020 after defeating Matheus Nicolau with a knockout.

But with only four fights in the last four years, you must understand how unusual it is for him to retain his place among the Top 5 in the division.

Stylistically, Alex prefers to fight in a standing position, although he was an All-American wrestler in his college days. He should have an advantage if he manages to keep the fight on his feet.

At the same time, he has very poor defense on the ground, which makes it harder to make a confident Perez vs Taira prediction. Alex has eight defeats in his career and five of them came by submission.

Tatsuro Taira Preview

Tatsuro Taira is one of the most exciting prospects in the Flyweight division and enters this contest with five consecutive wins in the UFC since his debut in 2022.

The Japanese had his debut professional fight in 2017, at the age of 17. He won 10 victories in a row, eight of which were ahead of schedule, and earned himself a contract with the UFC. He remains undefeated with a 15-0-0 record and 11 early finishes.

Taira is quite versatile, but he prefers to fight on the ground. He shoots for takedowns at any opportunity, with 2.12 successful attempts on average per 15 minutes.

Against Perez, Taira will certainly try to demonstrate his entire arsenal of skills on the ground. After all, he has found a lot of success with this fighting style, while Perez has been struggling against strong wrestlers.

Our Alex Perez vs Tatsuro Taira Prediction: Taira Will Continue His Climb

Bookmakers favor Tatsuro ahead of this bout and we have to agree with them for our Perez vs Taira prediction. At 24 years of age, he is already showcasing incredible technical skills and fight IQ.

Taira has to take Perez down as soon as possible and escape any dangerous exchanges in the standing position. The Japanese doesn’t have any incredible knockout power, so knocking out Perez is extremely unlikely.

This will probably be a long fight as these Flyweights often produce film-worthy bouts. But in the end, the young Taira should come on top and earn a massive boost in the rankings.