UFC Vegas 93: Perez Vs. Taira

The UFC is at the Apex for the first time in close to a month for Saturday’s UFC Vegas 93 fight card. A pivotal flyweight matchup serves as the main event for the ESPN2 fight card.

In the headlining bout of tomorrow’s UFC event, former UFC flyweight title challenger Alex Perez serves as a replacement opponent for the fast-rising Tatsuro Taira. Perez enters the Octagon on Saturday as the No. 5 fighter in the official UFC flyweight rankings, while Taira registers at No. 13.

The main card of UFC Vegas 93 starts at 10:00 pm ET on ESPN2 on Saturday, June 15. Prelims begin at 7:00 pm ET on the same network. The event also streams on ESPN+.

Perez has a career record of 25-8. He ended his three-fight losing skid in April with a second-round knockout win over Matheus Nicolau. His run of consecutive losses began in November 2020 when then-UFC flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo submitted him at UFC 255. Losses to Alexandre Pantoja and Muhammad Mokaev followed. Perez has already fought twice in 2024 after missing all of 2023 and competing only once in 2022. The 32-year-old also went without a fight in 2021.

The undefeated Tatsuro Taira first fought for the UFC in May 2022. The 24-year-old was 10-0 at the time. He was unbeaten in five UFC fights and came off a second-round TKO win over Carlos Hernandez in December. UFC Vegas 93 marks his first fight as a ranked flyweight and his first matchup against another fighter in the top 15 of the UFC’s 125-pound weight class.

UFC Vegas 93: Odds, Picks and Predictions

UFC Vegas 93 Main Event: Alex Perez vs. Tatsuro Taira

It’s rare when fight odds hold steady, but that is the case with the main event of UFC Vegas 93. Alex Perez opened as the +165 betting underdog, while Tatsuro Taira opened as the -200 betting favorite. Those odds are the same as fight night approaches.

As for how the public is wagering on the matchup, 55 percent of the bets are on Perez, while the majority of the money, 66 percent is on Taira.

The betting pick in this fight is for the more experienced Perez to pull off the upset victory.

UFC Vegas 93 Co-Main Event: Douglas Silva de Andrade vs. Miles Johns

A bantamweight scrap serves as the co-main event of Saturday’s UFC Vegas 93 fight card. In that contest, Miles Johns opened as the +105 underdog to Douglas Silva de Andrade, who came in as the -125 favorite. However, those odds have freaked out as fight night approaches. Johns is now the -14o betting favorite, and Silva de Andrade is the betting underdog at +115. Both the bets and handle are in favor of Johns. He picked up 55 percent of the wagers and 76 percent of the money.

The betting pick in this matchup is Miles Johns.

UFC Vegas 93: Timothy Cuamba vs. Lucas Almeida

Before the headlining bouts on tomorrow’s UFC Fight Night card, we have a featherweight matchup between Timothy Cuamba and Lucas Almeida. When betting odds opened for this contest, Cuamba was a -175 favorite. He has moved to -200 as fight night approaches. As for his foe, Almeida opened at +145 and he is now listed at +165. Most bets are on Cuamba at 56 percent, but the majority of the money is on Almeida at 61 percent.

The betting pick here is on Cuamba.

UFC Vegas 93: Brady Hiestand vs. Garrett Armfield

The fight between Brady Histand and Garrett Armfield is a bantamweight battle. Hiestand was the +150 betting underdog at open, and Armfield was the -185 betting favorite. Those are odds slightly different today, with Hiestand at +160 and Armfield at -190. Armfield has a slight edge in the number of bets (51 percent) and handle (52 percent).

The betting pick is for an Armfield victory.

UFC Vegas 93: Asu Almabayev vs. Jose Johnson

Asu Almabayev and Jose Johnson meet in a flyweight matchup on the main card. This bout sports the most lopsided odds on the UFC Vegas 93 main card. Almabayev was -450 at opening. He is now -600. Johnson opened at +325 and fell to +425. With the odds being what they are, it’s no surprise to see the underdog have more bets (83 percent) and wagers (88 percent) on him.

The betting pick is Almabayev to win.

UFC Vegas 93: Josh Quinlan vs. Adam Fugitt

The curtain jerker of the UFC Vegas 93 main card is a welterweight contest between Josh Quinlan and Adam Fugitt. Quinlan opened at -105 and Fuggitt was -115. Those pick ’em odds have shifted. Today Quinlan is a -125 betting favorite over Fugitt, who is the +105 betting underdog. Most of the wagers have been on Fugitt (52 percent) and most of the money has come in on him as well (56 percent).

The betting pick is Adam Fugitt in this scrap.

UFC Vegas 93 Prop Bets

Assu Almabaev by KO/TKO, DQ or Submission (+600)

Tatsuro Taira by Submission (+125)

Jose Johnson to win in 60 seconds or less (+4500)

Tatsuro Taira by KO/TKO, DQ or Submission (+100)

Tatsuro Taira by Submission in Round 3 (+1000)

*All information via BetMGM. Information on individual fight bets are for straight bets only.

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