UFC Fight Night Vegas 98 predictions: Royval vs. Taira

Postado por Maurício Oliveira, em 10/10 - Atualizado há 1 mês

After some great cards, the event returns to APEX in Las Vegas. Check out our full analysis and predictions for UFC Fight Night Vegas 98: Royval vs Taira.

UFC Fight Night Vegas 98: Royval vs. Taira

Clayton Carpenter x Lucas Rocha

Bet: Rocha wins

Analysis: A clash between two good athletes. The American is undefeated with a 7-0 record and is good on the feet and on the ground. The Brazilian isn’t far behind: with a 17-1 record, he has ten knockouts and three finishes. The longer time in the octagon should favor Rocha. It’s going to be a tough fight, but I trust his knockout power.


Dan Argueta vs. Cody Haddon

Bet: Argueta wins
Low confidence

Analysis: Haddon fought very well at Contender in August, when he got his UFC contract. Right off the bat, the event has already provided a good test for the youngster. Argueta is a tough grappler with a consistent takedown game. In his last fight, despite being finished at the end of the second round, he was terrifying the Brazilian Jean Matsumoto. Now, I think he’s going to show Cody Haddon that there are levels to this game. And well, if he can’t do that, he’ll probably pass on HR.


Cory Mckenna x Julia Polastri

Bet: Polastri wins

Analysis: For me, this is the last chance I’ll give the Brazilian athlete. After a debut in which she simply shied away from fighting Josefine Knutsson, getting stuck for most of the fight, I want to believe that now she’ll come in more switched on. McKenna showed a negative fight IQ in her last performance, where SHE WANTED to take the fight to the ground against jiu-jitsu ace Jaqueline Amorim: she was finished in the first round. If Julia comes in focused, she has every chance of winning.


Junior Tafa vs Sean Sharaf

Bet: Tafa wins

Analysis: Sharaf accepted the fight a few days in advance. He’s an undefeated 4-0, but he was fighting in a tiny event and against very questionable opponents. Not that Tafa is a fighting genius, but his knockout power should be more than enough. This fight is unlikely to go the distance.


Niko Price x Themba Gorimbo

Bet: Gorimbo wins

Analysis: Price, at 35, has already been knocked out five times. His chin is long gone. Gorimbo is a good athlete and if he enters the fight focused, he could even get a knockout. And even if the fight goes to the cage or to the ground, I trust Themba more to control or even get a finish.


Jonathan Pearce x Pat Sabatini

Bet: Pearce wins

Analysis: Although both have a similar fighting style, Sabatini has been knocked out three times, which worries me about his chin. Pearce has a strong game both on the feet and on the ground. Even though Jonathan is coming off two losses, they were to top fighters (David Onama and Joanderson Tubarão). I believe he has a better chance of winning and I wouldn’t even doubt a knockout or finish.


CJ Vergara x Ramazan Temirov

Bet: Temirov wins

Analysis: The Uzbek knockout artist was putting on a show at the Japanese event Rizin and now he’s coming to strengthen the UFC. As a gift, he receives CJ Vergara, an average fighter who has shown a lot of resistance. The detail is that he has never faced someone of Temirov’s caliber. If the fight goes to a judges’ decision, Temirov’s hype will go to waste. But under normal conditions, he should be knocked out or finished in the first or second round.


Josh Fremd x Abdul Razak Alhassan

Bet: Alhassan wins

Analysis: Even at 39, if Alhassan comes in with the same energy as he did in his last fight, he’ll get the better of Fremd. I can easily see the takedown and the ground and pound in the first round. Now, if the fight goes the distance, the tendency is for Fremd to grow and even steal a victory. However, I have more faith in the Ghanaian’s aggressiveness.


Daniel Rodríguez vs Alex Morono

No guesses, two dead men fighting!


Grant Dawson vs Rafa Garcia

Bet: Dawson wins

Analysis: Warning of possibly the most boring fight of the night! The two are high-level grapplers. That said, they’ll probably cancel each other out and the fight will be an average exchange. I hope I’m wrong. But in the end, Dawson has more weapons to win and he’s fighting at a better pace. Garcia hasn’t fought since April last year. Dawson is taller and has a good wingspan. High chances of this fight going to a decision.


Chidi Njokuani vs Jared Gooden

Bet: Gooden wins

Analysis: Even coming off a win, Njokuani still went to a split decision against an athlete who shouldn’t even be in the UFC. And before that, he had three losses, being knocked out twice. Gooden is five years younger and is coming off a good win against Brazilian Wellington Turman. If he comes with a similar strategy now, he has every chance of winning. Taking the fight to the ground seems to be a good way to go, he just has to be careful when approaching.


Brad Tavares vs Jun Yong Park

Bet: Park wins

Analysis: Two athletes who are in no hurry to finish the fight. The Korean even has a dangerous rear naked choke, achieving a sequence of three victories in this way before losing to André Muniz in a split decision. But he’ll need a lot of skill (and a bit of luck) to finish Tavares, who has never lost this way. The American is coming off a knockout loss in February and before that, had won on decision over a semi-knocked out Chris Weidman, where he lacked a sense of urgency. It’s likely to go to a judges’ decision. That way, I have more faith in Park’s abilities.


Brandon Royval x Tatsuro Taira

Bet: Taira wins

Analysis: I’ve been hearing all week that Royval is going to show all the Japanese’s flaws, because the fight is five rounds. Here’s what I think: the Japanese won’t need those five rounds, because he could finish the fight well before then. And even if the fight is extended, the 24-year-old should have enough gas to survive the last two. But I wouldn’t doubt Taira finding a finish. It won’t be easy, but the Japanese fighter’s form is much better.


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Best UFC Fight Night Vegas 98 predictions: Royval vs Taira

  • Daniel Argueta
  • Jonathan Pearce
  • Abdul Razak-Alhassan

UFC Fight Night Vegas 98: Royval vs Taira schedule

UFC Fight Night Vegas 98: Royval vs. Taira will take place on October 12 at UFC APEX in Las Vegas, NV. The event will feature a total of 13 fights. The preliminary card will start at 5pm (Brasília time), followed by the main card, which will start at 8pm.

UFC Fight Night Vegas 98: Royval vs Taira where to watch

UFC Fight Night Vegas 98: Royval vs Taira is coming up and, to make sure you don’t miss any details, we’ve organized all the options for broadcasting the fights. Check it out:

Take advantage of these options so you don’t miss a moment of this great event!