UFC Fight Night Vegas 98 predictions: Royval vs. Taira
em 10/10 - Atualizado há 1 mêsAfter 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.

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:
- UFC Brazil on Youtube: the first three fights will be available for free.
- UFC Fight Pass: official channel broadcasting the full card.
Take advantage of these options so you don’t miss a moment of this great event!