Check out the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings following UFC Fight Night 244 in Las Vegas.
UFC Fight Night 244 took place last weekend in Las Vegas, producing an update in the men’s flyweight rankings.
In the main event at the UFC Apex, [autotag]Brandon Royval[/autotag] handed [autotag]Tatsuro Taira[/autotag] his first career loss in a thrilling 25-minute bout.
Royval entered the contest at No. 3 in the men’s flyweight division. After winning, he gets one spot closer to the top, swapping positions with No. 2 Amir Albazi.
Check out all the latest pound-for-pound and divisional USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings.
What’s next for Brandon Royval and Tatsuro Taira following their wild fight at UFC Fight Night 244? We discuss on “Spinning Back Clique.”
[autotag]Brandon Royval[/autotag] and [autotag]Tatsuro Taira[/autotag] gave MMA fans one of the best fights, if not the best fight, of 2024.
The two flyweights went back and forth in the main event of Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 244 in Las Vegas. With many momentum swings, Royval (17-7 MMA, 7-3 UFC) ended up getting the better of Taira (16-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) over the course of 25 minutes, winning a split decision.
Now 2-0 since fighting for the UFC flyweight title, has Royval done enough to secure another crack at the belt? How much does Taira’s stock drop after his first professional defeat?
MMA Junkie’s Brian “Goze” Garcia, Matthew Wells, Danny Segura, and host Gorgeous George discuss what’s next for Royval and Taira following their Fight of the Night bout at UFC Fight Night 244.
Watch their discussion in the video above, and don’t miss this week’s complete episode of “Spinning Back Clique” below on YouTube.
The ascent of Japanese sensation [autotag]Tatsuro Taira[/autotag] took a hit in Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 244 in the form of his first career loss.
Taira (16-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) entered his headliner against Brandon Royval (17-7 MMA, 7-3 UFC) at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas with aspirations of a title shot, but unfortunately reality proved out different with a split decision defeat in a Fight of the Year contender.
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The result was hardly a defining point for Taira, who had the victory within reach on multiple occasions. The 24-year-old is sure to display growth from the experience, and if this performance was any indication, he will be a top contender at 125 pounds for years to come.
Where does Taira go after he sustained his first career blemish? Watch the video above for thoughts and analysis on his future after UFC Fight Night 244.
UFC Fight Night 244 fighters took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay, a program that continued after the UFC’s deal with Venum.
LAS VEGAS – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 244 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $186,000.
The program, a comprehensive plan that includes outfitting requirements, media obligations and other items under the fighter code of conduct, replaces the previous payments made under the UFC Athlete Outfitting Policy.
UFC Fight Night 244 took place at the UFC Apex. The card aired on ESPN and streamed on ESPN+.
The full UFC Fight Night 244 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:
Under the UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program’s payout tiers, which appropriate the money generated by Venum’s multi-year sponsorship with the UFC, fighters are paid based on their total number of UFC bouts, as well as Zuffa-era WEC fights (January 2007 and later) and Zuffa-era Strikeforce bouts (April 2011 and later). Fighters with 1-3 bouts receive $4,000 per appearance; 4-5 bouts get $4,630; 6-10 bouts get $6,000; 11-15 bouts earn $11,000; 16-20 bouts pocket $16,000; and 21 bouts and more get $21,000. Additionally, champions earn $32,000 while title challengers get $42,000.
In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-63 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.
Full 2024 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:
“UFC Fight Night 244: Royval vs. Taira” – $186,000
The UFC handed out four bonuses, but a lightweight who promised a title run and had a memorable mic moment was left out.
The UFC handed out four bonuses after Saturday’s card, but a lightweight who promised a title run, [autotag]Grant Dawson[/autotag], was left out of the mix.
Despite a brutal TKO finish on the main card and a bootylicious moment when he thanked his wife for her support – and “a dump truck you could bounce a quarter off of” – Dawson got no extra check for the mic-drop moment with his wife covering her face cageside.
After UFC Fight Night 244, four fighters picked up an extra $50,000 for their performances in Las Vegas. Check out the winners below.
Performance of the Night: Clayton Carpenter
Clayton Carpenter def. Lucas Rocha, UFC Fight Night 244
[autotag]Clayton Carpenter[/autotag] (8-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) was fighting about 20 months after his UFC debut win, but it was evident his game plan was to take the fight to the canvas to outwork Lucas Rocha (17-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC) on the canvas. After he cut him open in the first round and controlled him on the mat, he took him down again in the second and deftly locked in a rear-naked choke that put the Brazilian to sleep without a tap.
Performance of the Night: Ramazan Temirov
Ramazonbek Temirov def. CJ Vergara, UFC Fight Night 244
The UFC’s flyweights might have a new problem on their hands in Uzbekistan’s [autotag]Ramazan Temirov[/autotag] (18-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC). He stormed out in a hurry against CJ Vergara (12-6-1 MMA, 3-4 UFC) and stayed on him for as long as the fight lasted, which was just past the halfway mark when he put him away, mercifully.
Fight of the Night: Brandon Royval def. Tatsuro Taira
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – OCTOBER 12: (L-R) Brandon Royval punches Tatsuro Taira of Japan in a flyweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on October 12, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
In a flyweight instant classic, [autotag]Brandon Royval[/autotag] (17-7 MMA, 7-3 UFC) and [autotag]Tatsuro Taira[/autotag] (16-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) truly went back and forth for 25 minutes with regular momentum shifts. But a late takedown for Royval in the fifth and several close submission attempts down the stretch may have sealed the deal for the recent title challenger to hand Taira the first loss of his career. Royval said afterward Taira is a future flyweight champion and he wants to help him get there. He wants another title shot next.
Brandon Royval and Tatsuro Taira turned in a fantastic 25-minute affair decided by one round in the UFC Fight Night 244 main event.
[autotag]Brandon Royval[/autotag] didn’t expect to go the distance with Tatsuro Taira, but the goal of securing victory and handing his opponent his first career loss was accomplished.
The flyweight bout was the UFC Fight Night 244 main event at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The incredible 25-minute bout left the judges split. The former title challenger Royval (17-7 MMA, 7-3 UFC) was announced as the winner over Taira (17-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC), with dueling 48-47 scores.
Royval set the tone in the opening round with crisp striking, both when leading behind a speedy right jab and catching Taira with sharp counters. Taira responded with a solid offense, connecting in a flurry that led to a takedown.
Early in Round 2, Taira brought the fight to the mat again after smartly kicking off the fence while clinched. On the ground, he locked in a body triangle, allowing him to hunt for a rear-naked choke and land punches while Royval attempted to scramble.
With the fight even after 10 minutes, the game plans were apparent. Royval knew he couldn’t afford to be taken down again.
At his corner’s advice, Royval went to work quickly with sharp punching, putting Taira in trouble on the feet. As Taira attempted to give himself space to reset, Royval poured on the pressure and continued to land big strikes.
Despite being severely threatened, somehow, Tiara found his way onto Royval’s back and slapped on a tight rear-naked choke. The horn may have saved Royval in an otherwise dominant round.
Just 30 seconds into Round 4, Taira was in on the hips, working to get the fight to the ground. He was successful and once again threatened chokes and landed punches and elbows, keeping the fight on the mat for most of the round.
Going into Round 5, the fight was seemingly up for grabs. Taira was able to take it to his comfort zone on the ground, but this time, Royval was able to reverse the position to get back to his feet. Sharp punches connected for Royval, prompting Taira to shoot in. Royval reversed again and threatened his own submissions to close out the fight on a strong note.
While the fight was a split decision, it was not the final round that decided the fight. Instead, Round 1 was the deciding frame, as judge Sal D’Amato scored it for Taira.
“I get that f*cking title shot next,” Royval said during his post-fight interview with Michael Bisping. “I get that title shot next. I’ll be the backup. Kai Asakura, I’m going to Japan, I’m taking that sh*t. If Pantoja wins it, I’m going to Brazil and I’m taking that sh*t.
“Title shot next. That’s the only f*cking discussion. I beat everybody in the top 5 of the f*cking division. Who the f*ck else?”
If granted, it will be Royval’s second attempt to claim the UFC flyweight title. His first shot was against Pantoja at UFC 296, but he came up short on the wrong end of a unanimous decision.
Taira, 24, suffers the first loss of his professional career. He was previously unbeaten through six fights under the UFC banner.
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Up-to-the-minute UFC Fight Night 244 results include:
Analyzing Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 244 odds between Brandon Royval vs. Tatsuro Taira, with MMA picks and predictions.
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In a 5-round flyweight bout in the main event, Brandon Royval and Tatsuro Taira meet Saturday at UFC Fight Night 244 — also known as UFC Vegas 98 and UFC on ESPN+ 102 — at the UFC Apex. Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’sUFC odds around the UFC Night Night 244: Royval vs. Taira odds, and make our expert picks and predictions.
The prelims begin at 4 p.m. ET on ESPN+, and the main card begins at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
Records: Royval (16-7-0) | Taira (16-0-0)
Royval got a crack at the championship at UFC 296, but he lost via unanimous decision to Alexandre Pantoja in mid-December. He bounced back with a split-decision win over Brandon Moreno, as he looks to position himself for another title chance. He has ended up going the distance in 2 straight, and 3 of the past 5 fights, while going 4-1 in the span.
If Royval wants to get back to a championship fight, he needs to take care of the rising prospect Taira, who has never lost in 16 career bouts, including 6 at the UFC level. Taira knocked out Alex Perez in the 2nd round in mid-June, and he has 4 finishes inside the distance in the past 5 outings.
Taira has a 2-inch reach advantage over Royval, while the southpaw has a 4.33-to-3.56 significant strikes landed per minute advantage over Taira. The Japanese fighter has a 2.35 takedown average, and a 2.09 submission average.
ROYVAL (+240) is hungry to get back to a championship fight, and the quickest way for the veteran to do that is to get past an unbeaten Taira (-300).
This is going to be a good fight, as Taira has been a punching machine in his time with the company, and he has really developed a good clinch game.
However, Royval can get the job done in a number of ways, either with the knockout, or submission. He’ll be looking to work the legs of Taira, trying to wow the judges.
ROYVAL ON POINTS (+400) is worth a roll of the dice for the chance to multiply up by 4 times.
YES (+120): WILL THE FIGHT GO THE DISTANCE? is a strong play at plus-money.
Royval has ended up going the distance in 2 in a row, and 3 of the past 5 fights since Jan. 2022.
For Taira, while he has gone the distance just once in the past 5 fights, Royval has the tools to take him all the way, similar to the Edgar Chairez fight back at UFC 290.
If you’re not quite feeling a distance fight, OVER 3.5 ROUNDS (-140) is an alternative that isn’t too costly.
Visit MMA Junkie for more fight news and analysis.
Can recent title challenger Brandon Royval get back in the flyweight hunt with an upset of unbeaten Tatsuro Taira?
MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom goes in-depth to break down the biggest fights in the UFC. Today, he takes a closer look at the UFC Fight Night 244 main event: Brandon Royval vs. Tatsuro Taira (ESPN+).
Supplemental info:
+ LFA flyweight title
+ Amateur MMA accolades
+ Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt
+ 4 KO victories
+ 9 submission wins
+ 10 first-round finishes
+ KO power
+ Aggressive pace and pressure
+ Active feints and footwork
+ Diverse shot selection
^ Coming forward or off the counter
+ Dangerous knees and elbows
+ Active and urgent scrambler
^ Good granby rolls
+ Excellent transitional grappler
^ Opportunistic submission threat
+/- 3-2 inside the UFC Apex
Supplemental info:
+ Shooto flyweight title
+ Amateur MMA accolades
+ 5 knockout victories
+ 7 submission wins
+ 8 first-round finishes
+ Consistent pace and pressure
+ Good sense of range
^ Measures distance well
+ Steadily improving striking
^ Hard kicks from the left side
+ Strong inside the clinch
+ Solid takedown ability
^ Chains well against the fence
+ Excellent transitional grappler
^ Superb back-taker
+/- 1-0 against UFC-level southpaws
+/- 5-0 in the UFC Apex
Brandon Royval vs. Tatsuro Taira point of interest: Flyweight fisticuffs counters
Dec 16, 2023; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Alexandre Pantoja (red gloves) fights Brandon Royval (blue gloves) during UFC 296 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
The main event in Las Vegas features an important battle between top-ranked flyweights, [autotag]Brandon Royval[/autotag] and [autotag]Tatsuro Taira[/autotag].
Royval, who is more of a free-flowing stylist, is at his best when seizing the striking initiative through his dynamic southpaw offerings.
Akin to many Factory-X fighters, Royval utilizes some crafty feints and footwork that helps both setup and pull out offense. Once he gets a beat to his liking, Royval quickly responds with solid combinations which are often punctuated with dangerous kicks and knees.
When Royval’s feeling in stride, he will incorporate slick spinning assaults either coming forward or off the counter. That said, the former title challenger is not beyond being countered for his aggression.
Enter Taira.
Fighting his frame and stylistic sensibilities, Taira will typically look to play all the way in or all the way out when it comes to his operating range.
At distance, Taira looks to set up long straight shots off his in-and-out movement. When feeling in stride, Taira will attach solid kicks to his combinations (particularly off of his lead side).
Taira has also shown a solid ability to strike into collar ties, which could come in handy when it comes to corralling a sporadic and dynamic Royval.
Brandon Royval vs. Tatsuro Taira breakdown: Protect your neck
Jul 8, 2023; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Tatsuro Taira (red gloves) fights Edgar Chairez (blue gloves) during UFC 290 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
Considering both the stylistic dynamic and the fighting terrain, winning the wrestling will arguably be paramount for both parties this weekend.
A talented back-taker who is steadily rounding out his surrounding skill set, Taira appears to have no illusions as to where his bread is buttered.
Not only is Taira patient when it comes to setting up his shots, but the Japanese fighter does not seem easily discouraged when failing on his first attempt.
Akin to great MMA grapplers like Khabib Nurmagomedov, Taira looks to be perfectly content with using his first shot to drive his opposition toward the octagon walls. From there, Taira will chain to and from single-legs to trip takedowns that allow him to drag the fight into his world.
Nevertheless, Taira will still need to be mindful of his neck when committing to takedowns opposite a front-headlock threat like Royval.
A Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, Royval is an opportunistic submission threat who isn’t afraid to play in the proverbial dirt.
Whether he’s operating off his back or seeking out fight-ending submissions in scrambles, Royval is constantly looking to capitalize in the chaos. That said, Royval does have the propensity to allow for back exposure in said scrambles given his love for tactics like granby rolls.
Royval did show improved awareness for back exposure in his title attempt against the criminally disrespected Alexandre Pantoja, but the American still surrendered a ton of control time spamming unsuccessful submissions and strikes from the bottom.
I’ll be curious to see what getup options Royval will use this time around given that he’s facing another backpacking threat.
Taira may still be developing large parts of his game, but the 24-year-old’s back-taking abilities are potent beyond his years. Whether Taira is looking for rear-naked chokes or baiting escapes that lead to armlocks, the native of Japan will be extremely dangerous anytime he attaches himself to Royval.
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Brandon Royval vs. Tatsuro Taira odds
The oddsmakers and the public are favoring the Japanese fighter, listing Taira -290 and Royval +215 via FanDuel.
Brandon Royval vs. Tatsuro Taira prediction, pick
Tatsuro Taira
Between the oddsmakers loving undefeated fighters to MMA gamblers’ borderline-creepy age obsession, seeing the younger Taira get steamed with support on the betting lines comes as no shock here.
Although I’m happy to finally see an Asian fighter getting love from the fanbase and promotion alike, I’d suggest tempering expectations to anyone mimicking the unwarranted glazing that Michael Bisping was doing to the Japanese prospect last time out (in a fight where he was technically down on the cards before winning by injury over the continually disrespected Alex Perez, by the way).
But gross celebrations over potentially career-altering injuries aside, Taira quietly showed a lot to like his last time out.
From his ability to play distance with interceptions in tow to his newfound collar ties and clinch connections, the foundation of Taira’s game is starting to resemble Islam Makhachev. And inside of the smaller octagon of the Apex, Taira’s game only becomes more potent.
Aside from being a fan of Royval’s style and his camp, I’m hoping that he can survive the early rounds and extend Taira so that we can see more of the 24-year-old as well. But between this fight being in the small cage to Royval’s propensity to get controlled by top grapplers, I have a feeling that “Raw Dawg” may end up having to rely more on deterrents like knees and front-choke threats than perhaps he’d like to.
Add in the fact that injury-style TKOs are always on the table when it comes to fighters like Royval or Sean O’Malley (as freak injuries historically seem to happen to long and lanky fighters who are large for the lower weight classes), and I can’t help but favor Taira in this spot.
I’ll officially pick Taira to find a submission by the end of Round 2.
Prediction: Taira inside the distance
Brandon Royval vs. Tatsuro Taira start time, where to watch
As the main event in Las Vegas, Royval and Taira are expected to make their walks to the octagon at approximately 9:45 p.m. ET. The event streams on ESPN+.
It’s been a minute since the UFC has been to Japan, but Tatsuro Taira would like to have something to say about that.
LAS VEGAS – It’s been a minute since the UFC has been to Japan, but [autotag]Tatsuro Taira[/autotag] would like to have something to say about that.
Taira (16-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) on Saturday fights in a UFC main event for the second time when he headlines UFC fight Night 244 against recent flyweight title challenger Brandon Royval (16-7 MMA, 6-3 UFC). And he’s got a lot going for him when it comes to being a rising star.
At just 24, he’s still young by MMA standards. But he’s proven to be well-rounded with five knockouts and seven submissions in his 16 wins. He has back-to-back finishes, stoppages in four of his past five, and bonuses in three of those fights.
In a wild coincidence, the last time the UFC was in Japan was the night after Taira’s final amateur fight. The night before, he won an amateur Shooto tournament a couple hours down the road from UFC Fight Night 117.
Taira thinks a big win against Royval in Saturday’s main event, could be just the thing that helps make the push to get back to his home country. And who knows – maybe there, he could get a shot against flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja. Or one step better, maybe he could headline a Japan return as champion.
“I definitely want to show a big impact. I definitely want to show my strength. That’s something I want to show in this fight,” Taira said at Wednesday’s media day at the UFC Apex. “I’m definitely focused on this one, but thinking of title fights, I’ve always dreamed and thought about the title fights. It’s something that I always have in mind.
“I’d love to have UFC back in Japan, and if I’m the star, I want to be that star to bring that back to Japan.”
Will Brandon Royval vs. Tatsuro Taira determine the next flyweight title challenger? We discuss on “Spinning Back Clique.”
The UFC flyweight division might figure out its next title challenger this Saturday.
Top contenders [autotag]Brandon Royval[/autotag] and [autotag]Tatsuro Taira[/autotag] clash in the main event of UFC Fight Night 244 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. At this moment, there’s no clear challenger for champion Alexandre Pantoja, thus opening up the doors for someone to make a statement and cement himself as the No. 1 contender in the division.
But how likely is that will be Royval or Taira? And who has the better shot?
MMA Junkie’s Brian Garcia, Nolan King, Mike Bohn, and host “Gorgeous” George breakdown the flyweight main event and highlight some of the other matchups taking place on the card.
Watch their discussion in the video above, and don’t miss this week’s complete episode of “Spinning Back Clique” below on YouTube.
