UFC News: Ex-Title Challenger Meets Unbeaten Contender in Fight Night Main Event

This fight could decide the UFC's next flyweight title challenger.

(Zuffa LLC)

A matchup with serious implications for the flyweight title picture has been booked as the main event for a UFC Fight Night card on October 12.

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Brandon Royval And Tatsuro Taira Set For Main Event

Scheduled as the first of back-to-back UFC Fight Night events at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas in between UFC 307 and UFC 308, the card on October 12 already boasts some strong matchups like Grant Dawson vs. Rafa Garcia and former bantamweight titleholder Cody Garbrandt squaring off with Miles Johns.

According to a report from @realkevink, the card’s headlining bout will see former title challenger Brandon Royval return to face unbeaten contender Tatsuro Taira in a massive fight for the UFC flyweight division.

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 / Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

A member of the UFC roster since 2020, “Raw Dawg” put together a three-fight win streak to earn a shot at the UFC flyweight belt but suffered a unanimous decision loss to Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 296 in the champion’s first title defense.

Royval returned to the win column in February when he took a close split decision over former champion Brandon Moreno, and now he’ll be tasked with handing Taira his first loss after the Japanese fighter bested another ex-title challenger in Alex Perez in his first UFC main event in June.

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 / Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

Last weekend’s UFC 304 bout between Muhammad Mokaev and Manel Kape was tabbed by many fans as a #1-contender matchup for the flyweight division, but after Mokaev won that fight and was surprisingly released from the UFC the fight between Royval and Taira could very well decide the next challenger for Pantoja’s belt.

The UFC Fight Night card on October 12 does still have room for a few more matchups, but with the main event now in place the card is currently shaping up like this:

• Main Event: Brandon Royval vs. Tatsuro Taira

• Grant Dawson vs. Rafa Garcia

• Cody Garbrandt vs. Mile Johns

• Niko Price vs. Themba Gorimbo

• Chidi Njokuani vs. Jared Gooden

• Clayton Carpenter vs. Lucas Rocha

• Josh Fremd vs. Abdul Razak Alhassan

• Cory McKenna vs. Polyana Viana

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