*Tatsuro Taira lands a powerful left hand on Brandon Royval. Credit: MMA Fighting.*

This Saturday, the UFC returns to its headquarters at the APEX Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, with an excellent Fight Night card. The card has been packed full of fascinating matchups, established veterans, and rising stars all looking to make their name on the biggest stage in MMA. In the co-main event, we’ll see a collision of two quickly-rising Lightweights when the dangerous brawler Mateusz Rębecki takes on Scottish scrapper Chris Duncan. In the main event, two rising Flyweight stars will go toe-to-toe when submission artist Tatsuro Taira squares off with the heavy-handed Hyun Sung Park. Let’s take a look at the fights on the main card.

Danny Silva vs. Kevin Vallejos

*Danny Silva stuns Lucas Almeida with a stiff right hand. Credit: Cageside Press.*

Featherweight Bout

Danny Silva: 10-1-0, 5 KO/TKO, 0 Sub.

Kevin Vallejos: 15-1-0, 11 KO/TKO, 2 Sub.

Silva has won four of his last five fights and has UFC victories over Josh Culibao (11-4-1) and Lucas Almeida (15-4-0). He’s a durable scrapper with impressive power and outstanding wrestling. He’s constantly coming forward, pressuring his opponent, and controlling the center of the octagon. Silva prefers power to volume, not putting out much at range before exploding into the pocket to unload heavy combinations. Training at Bloodline Combat, he’s landing, on average, over two takedowns per fifteen minutes and is a tenacious wrestler, often chaining takedowns together along the fence. His striking sets up his grappling, regularly punching into the clinch before taking the fight to the mat. Silva has excellent cardio, maintaining his pace and power throughout, and has secured four of his five knockouts after round one.

*Kevin Vallejos lands a powerful body shot on Cam Teague. Credit: MMA Mania.*

Vallejos has won four of his last five bouts, holding a UFC victory over Seung Woo Choi (11-8-0). He’s an outstanding striker with excellent punching power and counterstriking. He throws every shot with knockout intentions, regularly adding low kicks to the end of punch combinations. Vallejos has terrific footwork and distance management, regularly looking to slip punches and return fire. Training at Brothers of Life MMA, he remains technical throughout and won’t telegraph shots, entering the pocket at different angles and opening combinations with different punches. He won’t typically pursue takedowns, but is a solid grappler with heavy top control and ground and pound. Vallejos pushes a heavy pace and rarely sees the judges’ scorecards, with eight of his thirteen finish victories coming in the first round.

Neil Magny vs. Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos

*Neil Magny fires a head kick at Daniel Rodriguez. Credit: Zuffa LLC.*

Welterweight Bout

Neil Magny: 29-14-0, 8 KO/TKO, 4 Sub.

Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos: 25-9-1, 15 KO/TKO, 3 Sub.

Magny has won two of his last five outings and has UFC victories over #10 ranked Welterweight Geoff Neal (16-6-0), #13 ranked Welterweight Daniel Rodriguez (20-5-0), and Mike Malott (12-2-1). He’s been in the UFC since 2013 and has faced a who’s who of the Welterweight division in his tenure. He’s a tall, lengthy fighter and uses it well, staying at distance on his feet and picking his opponents apart with his punches. Magny’s best weapon is his cardio; he always pushes a heavy pace, constantly touching up his opponents and wearing them down over the course of the fight. Training at Pound 4 Pound Muay Thai, he can do impressive damage without much space, regularly landing brutal knees and punches inside the clinch. Averaging over two takedowns landed per fifteen minutes, he’s a tenacious grappler and is willing to work and chain attempts together to bring the fight to the mat. Magny is one of the most experienced fighters in the UFC, holding company records for the most Welterweight fight time (6:56:48), Welterweight bouts (34), and the most significant strikes landed in the Welterweight division (1428).

*Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos unloads ground and pound onto Zach Scroggins. Credit: RBJ.*

Zaleski dos Santos has won two of his last five fights with one draw and has UFC victories over #2 ranked Middleweight Sean Strickland (29-7-0), #13 ranked Lightweight Benoit Saint Denis (14-3-0), and Abubakar Nurmagomedov (17-4-1). A well-rounded scrapper, he has significant power in his strikes and can produce flashy finishes. A lifetime Capoeira practitioner, he has a fantastic kicking game, regularly mixing them in at the end of combinations without telegraphing. Zaleski dos Santos can do damage from range or inside the pocket, regularly blasting kicks from distance before blitzing in to unload hooks and overhands. Training at CM System, he’s strong in the clinch and very tough to control. He’s defended 68% of takedowns attempted on him in the UFC and will often attempt chokes when sprawling. Zaleski dos Santos has picked up nine of his fifteen knockouts in round one, but carries his power throughout and is always dangerous.

#10 Karol Rosa vs. #12 Nora Cornolle

*Karol Rosa lands a stinging jab on Bethe Correia. Credit: MMA Fighting.*

Women’s Bantamweight Bout

Karol Rosa: 18-7-0, 4 KO/TKO, 2 Sub.

Nora Cornolle: 9-2-0, 6 KO/TKO, 2 Sub.

Rosa has won two of her last five bouts and has UFC victories over #9 ranked Bantamweight Yana Santos (16-8-0), #14 ranked Bantamweight Joselyn Edwards (15-6-0), and Pannie Kianzad (17-9-0). A technical striker, she’s constantly coming forward, looking to batter and overwhelm her opponents. She will regularly fire vicious leg kicks and holds the UFC record for most leg kicks landed in a single bout (95). Rosa has solid cardio, maintaining her power and pace throughout without getting sloppy or telegraphing her attacks. Training with the GAEA Project, she’s willing to grapple, landing, on average, about one takedown per fifteen minutes, and has excellent striking inside the clinch, particularly with her elbows. Rosa won’t utilize much footwork but is always in front of her opponent, pressuring and forcing them to the outside while unloading kicks, hooks, and overhands. Rosa tends to heat up and take more risks as the fight goes on, and has secured five of her six finishes after round one.

*Nora Cornolle blasts Melissa Mullins with a brutal head kick. Credit: MMA Fighting.*

Cornolle has won four of her last five outings, with UFC victories coming over #14 ranked Bantamweight Joselyn Edwards (15-6-0), Melissa Mullins (7-2-0), and Hailey Cowan (7-4-0). She’s a Muay Thai striker and former professional kickboxer with a record of 32-4-1. She’s in perpetual motion, constantly circling while looking for openings to land shots. Cornolle fights behind her jab, remaining technical while regularly unloading heavy straights and adding head kicks to the end of punch combinations. Training at US Metro Bizot, she typically doesn’t initiate grappling scenarios, but she has demonstrated solid skills off her back and has good chokes. She has excellent clinch striking, particularly with her knees, constantly pummeling her opponent with shots to the midsection. Cornolle has outlanded her opponent in all of her UFC victories and is in constant pursuit of a knockout.

Elves Brener vs. Esteban Ribovics

*Elves Brener stuns Guram Kutateladze with a lunging jab. Credit: Ag. Fight.*

Lightweight Bout

Elves Brener: 16-5-0, 3 KO/TKO, 11 Sub.

Esteban Ribovics: 14-2-0, 7 KO/TKO, 5 Sub.

Brener has won three of his last five fights and has UFC victories over Zubaira Tukhugov (20-6-1), Guram Kutateladze (13-5-0), and Kaynan Kruschewsky (15-3-0). He’s a heavy-handed striker with a slick submission game who always pursues a finish. He throws everything with power and is willing to get wild, regularly throwing jumping knees and kicks. Brener has solid cardio, pushing a consistent pace throughout, and has proven exceptionally durable and capable of surviving in deep waters. He’s averaging over one takedown landed per fifteen minutes, is very strong in the clinch, and can find submissions quickly on the mat. Training at Chute Boxe, he varies his shots well, attacking the head, legs, and body, regularly changing stances to set up his kicks. Brener has one-shot knockout power and is at his most dangerous early on, with nine of his fourteen finishes coming in round one.

*Esteban Ribovics lands a cracking right hook on Daniel Zellhuber. Credit: Yahoo Sports.*

Ribovics has won three of his last five bouts, holding UFC victories over Terrance McKinney (17-7-0), Kamuela Kirk (12-7-0), and Daniel Zellhuber (15-3-0). He’s a heavy-handed scrapper, coming out guns blazing and pushing a heavy pace from bell to bell. He’s constantly looking to close the distance and unload inside the pocket with brutal hooks. Ribovics tends to brawl more as the fight continues, often starting rounds fighting technically and taking more risks as they go on. Training at Kill Cliff FC, he has solid defensive grappling abilities and has proven capable of surviving in deep waters on the mat. Although he won’t typically initiate grappling scenarios, he has heavy ground and pound and submission skills, particularly shoulder locks. Ribovics is always dangerous, especially early on, with five of his seven knockouts coming in the first round.

Mateusz Rębecki vs. Chris Duncan

*Mateusz Rębecki lands a stinging left hand on Loik Rabzhabov. Credit: MMA Fighting.*

Lightweight Bout

Mateusz Rębecki: 20-2-0, 9 KO/TKO, 7 Sub.

Chris Duncan: 13-2-0, 7 KO/TKO, 3 Sub.

Rębecki has won four of his last five outings and has UFC victories over Myktybek Orolbai (14-2-1), Roosevelt Roberts (12-6-0), and Loik Radzhabov (18-6-1). He’s an excellent, technical striker with fantastic grappling to back it up. He throws with both power and volume, outlanding his opponent in all of his UFC victories. Rębecki has great head movement, always keeping his head off the centerline and often slipping shots after landing his own. He’s averaging nearly four takedowns landed and one submission attempted per fifteen minutes, showcasing his outstanding grappling skills. Training at American Top Team, he lands takedowns quickly and efficiently, has smothering top control, and fantastic joint lock submissions. Rębecki always leaves everything inside the octagon and is a prolific finisher, having only seen the judges’ scorecards four times in his career.

*Chris Duncan submits Bolaji Oki with a guillotine choke. Credit: MMA Fighting.*

Duncan has won four of his last five fights, with UFC victories coming over Yanal Ashmouz (8-2-0), Bolaji Oki (10-2-0), and Omar Morales (11-4-0). He’s a well-rounded fighter with a solid wrestling game and dangerous power in his hands. He’s constantly pressing forward, remaining patient, and looking for openings before unloading overhands and hooks. Duncan is highly durable and always dangerous, capable of surviving in deep waters and finding a finish anywhere, at any time. Training at American Top Team, he’s averaging over four takedowns landed per fifteen minutes and has heavy top and clinch control. He’s always dangerous on the ground, especially in top position, but has outstanding submissions and can find them off his back. Duncan has great cardio and maintains his power and pace throughout the fight, with half of his finish victories coming after round one.

#6 Tatsuro Taira vs. Hyun Sung Park

*Tatsuro Taira secures a double leg takedown on Édgar Cháirez. Credit: Zuffa LLC.*

Flyweight Bout

Tatsuro Taira: 16-1-0, 5 KO/TKO, 7 Sub.

Hyun Sung Park: 10-0-0, 4 KO/TKO, 5 Sub.

Taira has won four of his last five bouts and has UFC victories over #8 ranked Flyweight Alex Perez (25-9-0), Édgar Cháirez (12-6-0), and CJ Vergara (12-7-1). A dangerous grappler with impressive power, he’s constantly looking to take the fight to the mat and secure a finish. He’s averaging nearly three takedowns landed and over one submission attempted per fifteen minutes, and is very efficient on the ground. Taira has fantastic scrambles and reversals, seemingly always coming out the victor in grappling exchanges. Training at The Blackbelt Japan, he’s highly accurate on the feet, having landed 60% of the significant strikes he’s attempted, always remaining technical. He’ll usually prefer submissions to ground and pound, but will unload on his opponent if given the chance. Taira has been awarded four post-fight bonuses in his seven UFC appearances and is always pursuing a highlight victory.

*Hyun Sung Park fires a straight left hand at Carlos Hernandez. Credit: Zuffa LLC.*

Park is undefeated, with UFC victories coming over Carlos Hernandez (10-5-0) and Shannon Ross (13-9-0). He’s dangerous anywhere the fight goes, with serious power in his hands and outstanding grappling. He controls the center of the octagon well, forcing his opponent to the outside while constantly coming forward to throw bombs. Park throws everything with power and varies his shots well, attacking the head, body, and legs with equal tenacity. Training with Team MMA Story, he’s averaging nearly two takedowns landed and three submissions attempted per fifteen minutes. He transitions quickly on the mat and is always working from top position, hunting for a submission or looking to posture up and do damage. Park is dangerous anywhere, but particularly if he takes his opponent’s back, with all of his submission victories coming via rear naked choke.

Best Bets

Karol Rosa Moneyline: This is an excellent matchup of an established contender and a rising prospect. This will be the eleventh UFC appearance for Karol Rosa, a well-rounded scrapper with technical striking and high-level grappling. This is Cornolle’s fifth UFC fight, and she is a former professional kickboxer with a developing submission game. Rosa has exclusively received ranked matchups in her last five fights, proving not just her skills but her durability, having taken part in one of the wildest wars women’s Bantamweight has ever seen with Irene Aldana. In her last five outings, Rosa has landed, on average, about 95 significant strikes and is always pushing a heavy pace. Beyond her striking abilities, Rosa has a black belt in BJJ and is an outstanding grappler. Cornolle has been taken down and given up more than four minutes of control time in three of her four UFC appearances, and has not faced a grappler of the caliber of Rosa. I believe Rosa will match Cornolle’s aggression on the feet, slowing her down with constant leg kicks and controlling her in the clinch. I expect Rosa to secure multiple takedowns as the fight goes on, doing damage from top position and wearing Cornolle down en route to a hard-fought victory.

Rębecki vs. Duncan to Not Go the Distance: An outstanding matchup of two top-tier finishers, I’m looking forward to this one. In a combined 37 professional fights, they have produced 26 finish victories, with sixteen knockouts and ten submissions. Neither man sees the judges’ scorecards very often, with three of Duncan’s five UFC appearances not going the distance, and four of Rębecki’s six UFC fights ending before the final bell. Although both are well-rounded, they tend to favor opposite things; Rębecki prefers to stay on his feet, supplementing his dangerous striking with his excellent grappling skills. Duncan is an outstanding submission artist and will regularly pursue takedowns, but has serious power in his hands as well. Regardless of their differences, they both always come forward and engage in the fight wherever it ends up, in constant pursuit of a finish. I expect these fighters to get off to a quick start, meeting in the middle of the octagon to exchange blows in the pocket. As the fight continues, I expect plenty of close exchanges on the feet with takedowns and grappling mixed in from both sides. Regardless of who emerges as the victor, I do not anticipate this fight lasting all three rounds.

Tatsuro Taira Moneyline: This is a fascinating matchup made on just five days’ notice. Taira was initially scheduled to face Amir Albazi, who had to pull out due to injury, leading to Park stepping in. Similar to the Rębecki vs. Duncan matchup, both are well-rounded scrapper but favor opposite styles, with Taira favoring grappling, and Park, striking. Although Park is five years Taira’s senior, Taira is by far the more experienced fighter. This fight will be Taira’s eighth UFC appearance and third consecutive Fight Night main event. For Park, this is his third UFC fight and first appearance on a main card, let alone in a main event. Beyond experience, Taira is the more complete fighter in my opinion. Park, while powerful and very skilled, tends to be very offensive-minded, regularly eating punches or getting taken down while pursuing a finish. Taira is highly technical at all times, constantly looking for openings to land punches or bring the fight to the mat, and I expect him to find those openings against Park. I anticipate Park coming out guns blazing, pushing a heavy pace from the start, while Taira weathers the storm and slows down the pace. I expect Taira to wear Park down with efficient striking, consistent takedowns, and heavy top control. Ultimately, while I’m not sure how this fight ends, I’m confident that Taira will have his hand raised when it’s all said and done.

UFC Fight Night: Taira vs. Park Preview