This Saturday’s UFC card at the Apex Arena may not have many familiar names lined up, but it does feature a key men’s flyweight bout in the main event, one that could see some of the top five return.
Experienced challenger Alex Perez takes on fast-rising and unbeaten Tatsuro Taira. A win for Taira could catapult him into the top five and put him closer to a title shot.
How to watch:
- Date: Saturday, June 15
- Preliminaries: 7 PM ET
- Main Event: 10 PM ET
- TV: ESPN 2 and ESPN Plus
Taira enters the battle with a 15-0 lead. Since defeating Carlos Hernandez via second-round knockout in December 2023, he has not competed.
Since Taira’s two fights with Joshua Van and Tim Elliott were postponed in the last month, Perez volunteered to face the captivating 24-year-old Japanese fighter.
Throughout his 5-0 UFC career, he earned three stoppage victories. Should he succeed in defeating Perez, it should propel him into the Top 5, from where he would be entitled to take on the top contender in the 125-pound class, Brandon Royval, or any of the four opponents ranked higher than him.
In April, the 32-year-old bounced back from a three-fight losing streak with a dramatic second-round knockout win over Matheus Nicolau. If Perez can secure another win, he could solidify his place in the top five and get closer to a title shot.
In the co-main event, Russia’s Ikram Aliskerov will look to extend his winning streak to eight fights when he takes on Antonio Troccoli. Aliskerov’s only professional defeat came by uppercut against Khamzat Chimaev in April 2019 while competing for Brave CF.
Since making his UFC debut in September 2022, Aliskerov has been a hot fighter.
He announced his inclusion on Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series with a first-round kimura win over Mario Sousa, proving his potential as a well-rounded fighter.
Since then, Aliskerov has knocked out Phil Hawes and Warlley Alves. He seems to be a fighter on the verge of breaking into the middleweight rankings.
Even if Aliskerov’s win over Trocoli doesn’t skyrocket his rankings, he could face a higher ranked opponent when he next steps into the Octagon. Trocoli, a highly skilled BJJ fighter, will get a second chance to prove his skills at UFC.
He competed in the DWTNCS in 2019, but this will be his official UFC debut. He initially won a fight against Kenneth Bergh, earning a UFC contract after a hard-fought fight in which he sustained a broken leg.
Unfortunately, Trocoli failed a doping test and was penalized and suspended. His win was ultimately voided and the fight against Bergh ruled a no contest.
Unfortunately, he hasn’t fought in almost four years, so it’s natural to worry that he’s rusty. Either way, with so much at stake for both men, Aliskerov isn’t going to give him a rest.
Here’s the full lineup for Saturday:
Main Card
- Alex Perez vs. Tatsuro Taira
- Ikram Aliskerov vs. Antonio Trocoli
- Timmy Cuamba vs. Lucas Almeida
- Douglas Silva de Andrade vs. Miles Johns
- Asu Almabayev vs. Jose Johnson
Prelims
- Jeka Saragih vs. Westin Wilson
- Josh Quinlan vs. Adam Fugitt
- Tagir Ulanbekov vs. Joshua Van
- Shayilan Nuerdanbieke vs. Melquizael Costa
- Carli Judice vs. Gabriella Fernandes
- Brady Hiestand vs. Garrett Armfield
- Jimmy Flick vs. Nate Maness
- Josefine Knutsson vs. Julia Polastri