UFC Vegas 93 goes down inside the UFC’s APEX center this Saturday as top-ranked flyweights Alex Perez and Tatsuro Taira headline the card in a five-round main event.
The gritty veteran Perez will look to make it two straight wins after his most recent performance at UFC Vegas 91, where he scored an emphatic second-round knockout over Matheus Nicolaus. As for the 24-year-old Japanese phenom, Taira will look to keep his undefeated record intact as he continues his impressive run to UFC gold.
UFC Vegas 93 Main Event: Alex Perez vs. Tatsuro Taira
In a fiery clash between ranked flyweights, No. 5-ranked Alex Perez (25-8-0) takes on No. 13-ranked Tatsuro Taira (15-0-0) in the five-round main event slot for UFC Vegas 93.
32-year-old Alex Perez has fought in the UFC since 2017, where he has faced the best the 125-pound division offers. Names like Joseph Benavidez, Deiveson Figueiredo, Alexandre Pantoja, etc.
His 24-year-old counterpart, Taira, has fought in the UFC since 2022 and has yet to face any names of notoriety within the division. This matchup is the battle-tested veteran versus the young and untested prospect.
Examining the tale of the tape, Taira, the physically larger man, also holds a significant reach advantage. Both fighters adopt an orthodox stance, but their strategies diverge, setting the stage for an exciting clash of styles.
Perez will look to keep this fight standing up so he can effectively land punches and kicks to Taira, while Taira will look to get this fight to the ground where he is most comfortable.
That said, Taira can strike with Perez on the feet effectively until he successfully secures a takedown, where he can then work towards securing a submission victory. Taira via submission (armbar).
UFC Vegas 93 Co-main: Ikram Aliskerov vs. Antonio Trocoli
UFC Vegas 93’s co-main event features unranked middleweights Ikram Aliskerov (15-1-0) and Antonio Trocoli (12-3-0) taking the center of the octagon in a three-round fight.
Russia’s Aliskerov comes into this bout with heaps of momentum. He has been nothing short of perfect in his time with the UFC. In his two fights in the UFC, he has yet to see the second round, but he has scored first-round knockouts over the likes of Phil Hawes and Warlley Alves.
Aliskerov’s lone MMA loss dates back to April 19, 2019, in BRAVE FC, where he suffered a devastating uppercut knockout punch at the hands of now UFC middleweight contender and superstar Khamzat Chimaev.
Trocoli, the Brazilian-born middleweight, makes a highly anticipated return to the UFC after a successful stint in the regional scene. His last appearance on ‘Dana White’s Contender Series’ in 2019 was marked by a ‘No Contest’ ruling, adding an element of unpredictability to his debut.
After a brief overview of this matchup, Aliskerov is the heavy-betting favorite heading into the fight. Even with Trocoli’s impressive size and stature as a 6-foot-5 middleweight with an 82-inch reach, he is the heavy underdog.
Considering the matchup, it’s clear that Aliskerov’s distinct speed advantage could be a game-changer. His precision and measured approach on the feet could prove too much for Trocoli, regardless of whether the fight stays standing or goes to the ground.
Given that this is in fact a UFC Vegas event held inside the APEX, that means that the cage will be 25-feet instead of 30-feet. This difference in cage length grants an advantage towards power punchers and strong grapplers.
That said, my final prediction for this fight is Ikram Aliskerov will win via knockout (punches).
UFC Vegas 93: Tagir Ulanbekov vs. Joshua Van
In the most interesting prelim matchup of UFC Vegas 93, flyweights Tagir Ulanbekov (15-2-0) and Joshua Van (10-1-0) will both look to impress as they face one another.
This matchup will make for an entertaining watch as the grappling heavy Ulanbekov will look to implement his gameplan against the young and explosive 22-year-old striker Van.
This will be Van’s second time inside the UFC octagon after successfully debuting back in January with a second-round TKO over Felipe Bunes.
Ulanbekov, a seasoned 32-year-old, is set to make his sixth appearance in the UFC. He’s returning to the octagon after a break since his last fight in December 2023, a memorable submission victory over Cody Durden.
He makes his first return to the UFC’s APEX since his November 2022 first-round submission victory over Nate Maness at UFC Vegas 64.
Examining the fight, Ulanbekov, the physically imposing man, has a size advantage over Van. However, he doesn’t fully exploit this on his feet. Instead, he leverages his lankiness, a key asset in the 125-pound division, for effective grappling.
The shorter and smaller man in Van knows how to effectively close the distance on opponents and efficiently deliver damaging strikes on the feet.
That said, I see Ulanbekov being able to secure takedowns up against the cage, causing Van to have to work his way back up to the feet. However, I do not believe that Ulanbekov will be able to successfully control Van on the ground, and the two will eventually end up striking on the feet for most of the fight.
I see Ulanbekov beginning to slow as the takedowns fail and Van grows in confidence on the feet. In the end, I predict Van grinding out a closely contested split-decision victory over Ulanbekov at UFC Vegas 93.
Predicting Other Fights on UFC Vegas 93
Main Card:
- (145 lbs.) Timmy Cuamba (8-2-0) vs. Lucas Almeida (14-3-0): Cuamba via decision
- (135 lbs.) Douglas Silva de Andrade (29-5-0) vs. Miles Johns (14-2-0): Silva de Andrade via decision
- (125 lbs.) Assu Almabayev (19-2-0) vs. Jose Johnson (16-8-0): Almabayev via decision
- (170 lbs.) Josh Quinlan (6-2-0) vs. Adam Fugitt (9-4-0): Quinlan via KO/TKO
Prelims:
- (135 lbs.) Brady Hiestand (8-2-0) vs. Garrett Armfield (10-3-0): Armfield via decision
- (125 lbs.) Jimmy Flick (17-7-0) vs. Nate Maness (15-3-0): Manness via KO/TKO
- (W 125 lbs.) Carli Judice (3-1-0) vs. Gabriella Fernandes (8-3-0): Fernandes via decision
- (145 lbs.) Jeka Saragih (14-3-0) vs. Westin Wilson (16-9-0): Saragih via KO/TKO
- (W 115 lbs.) Josefine Knutsson (7-0-0) vs. Julia Polastri (12-3-0): Knutsson via decision
- (145 lbs.) Melquizael Costa vs. Shayilan Nuerdanbieke (39-11-0): Nuerdanbieke via decision
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