Flyweights
Tatsuro Taira (13-0, 3-0 UFC) vs. Kleydson Rodrigues (8-2, 1-1 UFC)This clash between top flyweight prospects is one of the clear highlights of the card. The UFC is starting to invest in Japanese talent once again, and Taira looks to be one of the fighters leading that charge. Taira has shown some impressive flashes of accurate striking, but his game truly starts to shine once things go to the mat. After controlling Carlos Candelario for the majority of his UFC debut, Taira has scored slick armbars of C.J. Vergara and Jesus Santos Aguilar in his last two appearances, marking himself as one of the most dangerous grapplers in the UFC’s flyweight ranks. If there is a criticism of Taira thus far, it is that he is clearly too patient for his own good historically, even though he looked a bit better in that regard against Vergara; and the Aguilar fight proved that Taira can still rely on his opponent’s aggression at times, as the Combate Global veteran immediately went for a takedown and got tied up for his troubles. Next up for Taira is Rodrigues, another prospect who figures to be a terror once everything starts clicking. “KR” was a bit of an unknown heading into his 2021 fight on Dana White’s Contender Series, but the Brazilian put together one of the best performances of the season as a bouncy striker with an impressive amount of quick-twitch athleticism. His UFC debut the following May went just as poorly, with Vergara applying consistent pressure that seemed to take Rodrigues off his game and make him a much less effective fighter. As a result, Vergara walked away with the split decision win. A 59-second knockout of Shannon Ross in February helped Rodrigues regain most of his hype, but it will be fascinating to see how he handles what might be the most dangerous opponent of his career thus far. Rodrigues gets the nod, as his high-level athleticism solves a lot of problems and should give him some leeway in the grappling realm; and the general bet is that Taira does not press the action enough to take Rodrigues completely off his game, even if the Japanese standout could cause some damage with his accuracy whenever he decides to throw. The pick is Rodrigues via decision.
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Taira vs. Rodrigues
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