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Fight By Fight Preview | UFC Fight Night: Perez vs Taira
Diving Into This Weekend’s Return To The UFC APEX From Top To Bottom
By E. Spencer Kyte, on X: @SpencerKyte
The action returns to the UFC APEX this weekend for an event headlined by a critical flyweight matchup between former title challenger Alex Perez and undefeated rising star Tatsuro Taira.
Packed with pairings featuring intriguing young talents and Dana White’s Contender Series (DWCS) graduates, this Saturday’s lineup promises to deliver plenty of excitement as this collection of competitors looks to make their mark inside the Octagon and take another step forward in their respective UFC journeys.
Here’s a closer look at that is on tap on Saturday evening.
Main Event Matchup: Alex Perez vs Tatsuro Taira
It’s an established contender against an ascending star in the main event as Alex Perez faces off with Tatsuro Taira.
Perez returned to action for the first time in 20 months in March, landing on the wrong side of the results in a matchup with another rising contender, Muhammad Mokaev. But he bounced back in a major way eight weeks later, knocking out Matheus Nicolau in spectacular fashion to collect his first win since the summer of 2020.
Taira scored a pair of wins in his UFC rookie year in 2022 to move to 12-0 and followed it up by collecting a trio of victories during his sophomore campaign last year. In his most recent appearance, the unbeaten 24-year-old ran through Carlos Hernandez, finishing the DWCS alum less than a minute into the second round.
This is a classic matchup type, but also a bout that will determine which of these two solidifies their position in the queue of contenders. Will Perez collect his second win of the year, or can Taira take a big step forward in his push towards the top of the division?
Other Main Card Matchups
Ikram Aliskerov vs Antonio Trocoli
The co-main event features a clash in the middleweight division between up-and-coming contender Ikram Aliskerov and short-notice replacement Antonio Trocoli.
A member of the DWCS Class of ’22, Aliskerov earned first-round stoppage wins in each of his first two UFC starts last year, running through Phil Hawes and Warlley Alves without much hassle. The 31-year-old former Combat Sambo world champion is 15-1 overall and one of the dark horses in the 185-pound ranks.
Trocoli has been targeted for a couple different short-notice opportunities in the past but is yet to cross the threshold into the UFC cage. The 33-year-old newcomer is unbeaten in his last four outings and can make a massive splash in his new surroundings if he’s able to join Khamzat Chimaev as the only fighters to defeat Aliskerov.
Timmy Cuamba vs Lucas Almeida
Lightweights Timmy Cuamba and Lucas Almeida face off in what should be an all-action affair in the middle of the main card this weekend.
Cuamba earned a quality win, but not a contract, over Mateo Vogel last season on the Contender Series. After adding another win to his resume, he was tabbed to fill in on short notice in February, dropping a competitive split decision to Bolaji Oki in a fight that snapped his five-fight run of success.
Almeida followed a similar path to the Octagon, showcasing his skills on Season 5 of the Contender Series, registering a win on the regional scene, and then stepping up on short notice to finish Michael Trizano in his promotional debut. He’s dropped each of his last two against experienced featherweights Pat Sabatini and Andre Fili, and aims to halt that skid here.
Both Cuamba and Almeida are dangerous strikers, with the former having a more technical approach and the latter bringing more aggressiveness to the table. Pairing them off together should produce fireworks this weekend in Las Vegas
Douglas Silva de Andrade vs Miles Johns
Tenured bantamweights Douglas Silva de Andrade and Miles Johns clash here, with each looking to build on strong outings last time out.
The 38-year-old Brazilian has won three of four since returning to the 135-pound ranks, pushing his record to 29-5 with one no contest in the process. In his most recent appearance, “DSDA” claimed a unanimous decision win over Cody Stamann in another competitive clash between divisional mainstays.
Johns arrives unbeaten in his last three and sporting a 4-1 record with one no contest over his last six fights. He’s settled into life back in Missouri training under Trey Ogden at Marathon MMA, and once again profiles as someone to watch in the talent-rich 135-pound weight class.
Will the veteran score another victory and stifle Johns’ ascent or can the DWCS grad grab a third win in four fights and take another step forward?
Asu Almabayev vs Jose Johnson
The first of the main card’s two flyweight bouts features Asu Almabayev stepping in with Jose Johnson.
Winning 13 straight earned Almabayev a call to the Octagon, and over his first two outings in the UFC, he’s registered another two victories to move to 19-2 overall. The 30-year-old from Kazakhstan has strong wrestling and an opportunity to make an impact in the 125-pound weight class if he can carry his strong form through this weekend.
After landing on the wrong side of things in his promotional debut opposite Da’Mon Blackshear, Johnson rebounded with a strong effort and late-fight finish in his clash with Chad Anheliger in mid-November. A member of the DWCS Class of ’22, the 29-year-old is 4-1 over his last five fights, all against quality competition, and has the chance to add a massive victory in this one on Saturday.
Almabayev has already bested a pair of Dana White’s Contender Series grads and looks to add a third here, while the attacking, dangerous Johnson seeks the biggest victory of his career in what is an important matchup for both athletes this weekend.
Brady Hiestand vs Garrett Armfield
Promising bantamweights Brady Hiestand and Garrett Armfield face off in the main card opener.
Since landing on the wrong side of a split decision verdict in the TUF 29 bantamweight finale, Hiestand has posted back-to-back gritty wins over Fernie Garcia and Batgerel Danaa. In each contest, the Sikjitsu representative has shown his tenacity and resilience, working out of rough spots to emerge victorious.
Armfield made his UFC debut up a division, losing a rematch to dangerous featherweight prospect David Onama. Back in the 135-pound weight class, the Marathon MMA representative has posted consecutive impressive efforts, stopping Toshiomi Kazama in the first before out-hustling Brad Katona at UFC 297 in Toronto at the start of the year.
Both Hiestand and Armfield have flashed a bunch of upside over their limited UFC appearances, and Saturday lines up as a “which one moves forward right now” matchup between these two up-and-coming talents.
Preliminary Card Matchups
Tagir Ulanbekov vs Joshua Van
Just as the main card wraps in the flyweight ranks, so too do the prelims, as Tagir Ulanbekov squares off with Joshua Van.
The 32-year-old Ulanbekov has won back-to-back outings and four of his five UFC appearances to date, establishing himself as a Top 15 presence in the division. Van makes his fourth trip into the Octagon in the last 12 months, looking to build on his trio of wins and take a major step forward in his young career.
Jimmy Flick vs Nate Maness
The penultimate bout on the early slate also comes in the 125-pound weight class, with Jimmy Flick and Nate Maness locking horns in a battle of flyweight finishers.
Flick snapped a two-fight skid last time out in Toronto, collecting a second-round submission win over Canadian veteran Malcolm Gordon. Maness has fought a tough slate throughout his UFC run, posting a 4-2 record across two weight classes, and he heads into Saturday’s contest off a first-round submission win over Mateus Mendonca.
Josh Quinlan vs Adam Fugitt
Josh Quinlan and Adam Fugitt meet on Saturday in what should be an absolute firefight for as long as it lasts.
After lighting up Jason Witt in his promotional debut, Quinlan has landed on the wrong side of the results in each of his last two outings, while Fugitt enters with a similar 1-2 mark inside the Octagon. Combined they’ve earned 14 finishes in their 15 career victories, so expect this one to end with the referee stepping in, not the judges rendering their verdict.
Carli Judice vs Gabriella Fernandes
Newcomer Carli Judice makes her first trip into the Octagon on Saturday, facing off with Brazilian Gabriella Fernandes in this flyweight preliminary card fixture.
The 25-year-old Judice impressed enough in her split decision loss to Ernesta Kareckaite last season on Dana White’s Contender Series that she earned a contract and a call to the Octagon. After posting seven straight wins on the regional scene, including an LFA title win, Fernandes has stumbled in each of her first two UFC assignments, dropping decisions to Jasmine Jasudavicius and Tereza Bleda.
Jeka Saragih vs Westin Wilson
Road to UFC finalist Jeka Saragih looks to build on his knockout win from the end of last year, while Westin Wilson goes in search of his first UFC victory in this featherweight preliminary card pairing.
The first Indonesian fighter in the UFC, Saragih scored one of the bigger upsets of 2023 last November, icing Lucas Alexander in 91 seconds. Wilson has dropped each of his first two outings inside the Octagon, and is sure to be happy to not be facing a Brazilian DWCS graduate this time around.
Josefine Knutsson vs Julia Polastri
Contender Series alums Josefine Knutsson and Julia Polastri clash here in an intriguing strawweight matchup early in the evening.
Knutsson posted a unanimous decision win over Marnic Mann in her promotional debut last September, elevating her record to 7-0 in the process. After coming up short in her first DWCS appearance, Polastri earned a contract last fall with a second-round stoppage win over Patricia Alujas to move to 12-3 overall.
Melquizael Costa vs Shayilan Nuerdanbieke
Saturday’s festivities begin in the featherweight division with what should be an all-action affair between Melquizael Costa and Shayilan Nuerdanbieke.
Costa competed three times last year, sandwiching a win over Austin Lingo between his short-notice debut loss to Thiago Moises and a second-round defeat at the hands of Steve Garcia. After carrying a three-fight winning streak into last year, Nuerdanbieke also fell at the hands of Garcia, starting quickly and fading fast at UFC 287.
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