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UFC Fight Night: Perez vs. Taira TV Channel, Full Card, & Betting Odds

The UFC is back at the APEX for the first time since mid-May.

Zain Bando

Jan 25, 2020; Raleigh, NC, USA; Alex Perez (blue gloves) defeats Jordan Espinosa (red gloves) during UFC Fight Night at PNC Arena.
Jan 25, 2020; Raleigh, NC, USA; Alex Perez (blue gloves) defeats Jordan Espinosa (red gloves) during UFC Fight Night at PNC Arena. / Rob Kinnan-USA TODAY Sports

The UFC returns to the APEX for another 'Fight Night' installment Saturday night. The event will be headlined by a critical flyweight contenders bout pitting Alex Perez (25-8 MMA, 7-4 UFC) against undefeated Japanese sensation Tatsuro Taira (15-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC) who is on a 24-fight win streak (including amateur).

Taira made his UFC debut a little over two years ago and has done nothing but impress in his five Octagon appearances. His most recent outing took place in December 2023 against Carlos Hernandez, finishing him by a devastating second-round left hook in what was his first fight in five months.

Meanwhile, Perez enters the fight having lost two out of his last three sandwiched between several cancellations. It is a quick turnaround for Perez, as he last saw action at the APEX in April and earned a decision win against fellow contender Matheus Nicolau, who had won four of his last five with his only loss coming against Brandon Royval.

The card now features 11 fights. A preliminary bout between Tagir Ulanbekov and Joshua Van was pulled from the event after Ulanbekov, at 129.5 pounds, exceeded the flyweight limit. The remaining fighters on the card, including the main event participants, successfully made weight.

UFC Fight Night: Perez vs. Taira Loses Another Huge Matchup on Weigh-in Day

Without further ado, MMA Knockout on Sports Illustrated has you covered with where to watch the card, including a newly-minted bout order (subject to change), betting odds, start times and much more.

Who is Fighting on UFC Vegas 93 and What Are The Betting Odds?

Main Card (ESPN2/ESPN+, 10:00 p.m. ET)

• Main Event: Alex Perez (+170) vs. Tatsuro Taira (-205)
• Co-Main Event: Miles Johns (-148) vs. Douglas Silva de Andrade (+124)
• Lucas Almeida (+164) vs. Timmy Cuamba (-198)
• Asu Almabaev vs. Jose Johnson
• Garrett Armfield (-205) vs. Brady Hiestand (+170)
• Adam Fugitt (+105) vs. Josh Quinlan (-125)

Preliminary Card (ESPN2/ESPN+, 7:00 p.m. ET)

• Nate Maness (-550) vs. Jimmy Flick (+410)
• Carli Judice (+140) vs. Gabriella Fernandes (-166)
• Jeka Saragih (-360) vs. Wetin Wilson (+280)
• Shayilan Nuerdanbieke (+160) vs. Melquizael Costa (-192)
• Julia Polastri (+154) vs. Josefine Knutsson (-185)

Odds are courtesy of the UFC section on DraftKings Sportsbook.

This is the UFC's 20th event of the year and third-straight this month, as the promotion previously held events in New Jersey and Kentucky earlier in the month.

UFC Fight Night: Alex Perez vs. Tatsuro Taira Live Results & Highlights

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Zain Bando
ZAIN BANDO

Zain Bando is a writer for MMA Knockout, part of the Sports Illustrated/Minute Media umbrella. He has covered combat sports since 2019 for notable outlets BJPenn.com and FanSided MMA. He also co-hosts a podcast called "The MMA Outsiders," part of the Empty The Bench Podcast Network, which airs Tuesday nights at 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT. A Chicago suburban native, Bando has been enthralled with MMA since 2006 and has been fortunate to attend some of the most high-profile events in the sport's history, both as a fan and media member, including UFC 264, Bellator 297 and Kayla Harrison's PFL MMA debut. He is excited to take the next step in his combat sports writing journey and looks forward to continuing his following of the fight game for years to come. Bando can be reached via email at zainbando99@gmail.com or by social media @zainbando99

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