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A key battle between ranked 125-pounders in the UFC has been announced and several fans are enthusiastic about the flyweight development. This bout in question is set to headline a UFC Fight Night card slated for October 12. This UFC Apex-based event could see the next flyweight title contender emerge once the dust settles in Las Vegas.
Tatsuro Taira and Brandon Royval will do battle in a five-round matchup with each entering the octagon as ranked contenders. Taira is situated at number five in the weight division while Royval is the number one contender at 125 pounds as of this writing.
X user @realkevink first reported the bout news with MMA Junkie later substantiating the report with two anonymous sources close to the situation.
Several Instagram users responded to a post from Junkie on the contest and the excitement for this matchup was tangible in the comment section.
@nathan_beresford said,
"Why in the apex?!! This is a banger!!!"
@the_half_mask_writer_ stated,
"Now That's a really good fight"
@wbitnessofficial quipped,
"THIS GOING TO BE GOOD"
Check the bout announcement for Tatsuro Taira versus Brandon Royval below:
The state of the UFC flyweight division
The aforementioned potential title eliminator stakes here shine through when looking at the resume of Taira as well as Royval and theorizing who could get the next crack at reigning UFC flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja.
The number two contender in the weight category Brandon Moreno is coming off of a split decision defeat to Royval in February. Number three-ranked flyweight Amir Albazi is riding high on the heels of a win over the division's number four-ranked combatant Kai Kara France. This was another split decision verdict and transpired in June of last year.
The individual who occupies the number six spot in the UFC men's 125-pound weight class hierarchy, Alex Perez, lost to Taira via a knee injury during their contest on June 15. Steve Erceg is positioned at the number seven spot in the division and looks to regain momentum after falling short in a competitive title bout versus Pantoja at UFC 301 in May.
The No. 8-10 spots are filled by Matheus Nicolau, Manel Kape, and Tim Elliot, respectively. Muhammad Mokaev has recently been ousted from the rankings as he fought out his contract and the UFC didn't want to re-sign the unbeaten talent following his points win over Kape at UFC 304 last weekend.
