A big flyweight fight is getting the five-round main event treatment.
At the UFC Fight Night card Oct. 12, top contenders Brandon Royval and Tatsuro Taira will collide in a headlining scrap at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
Two people with knowledge of the matchup confirmed the booking to MMA Junkie on Thursday but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement. X user @realkevink first reported the news.
Royval (16-7 MMA, 6-3 UFC) is riding high off an upset victory over Brandon Moreno in February. Royval took the main event bout on short notice and defeated Moreno, a former champion, in his native Mexico.
A fast rising star, Taira (16-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) steps into his second promotional main event. The 24-year-old Japanese phenom has finished four of his six UFC appearances to date, including his most recent bout vs. Alex Perez in June.
With the addition, the UFC Fight Night lineup for Oct. 12 includes:
Brandon Royval vs. Tatsuro Taira
Abdul Razak Alhassan vs. Josh Fremd
Grant Dawson vs. Rafa Garcia
Cody Garbrandt vs. Miles Johns
Themba Gorimbo vs. Niko Price
Jared Gooden vs. Chidi Njokuani
Clayton Carpenter vs. Lucas Rocha
Cory McKenna vs. Polyana Viana
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for the UFC Fight Night on Oct. 12.
