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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol are all set for their showdown Saturday evening.

Beterbiev (174.96) and Bivol (174.12) both made weight for the light heavyweight title unification showdown Friday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Beterbiev puts his WBC, IBF, and WBO light heavyweight titles on the line, while Bivol will put up his WBA belt in the main event.

“I was trying to reach my limits for preparation,” Bivol said.

Check out Beterbiev vs. Bivol weigh-in results below.

Main Event (ESPN+ at 6 p.m. ET)

Artur Beterbiev (174.9) vs. Dmitry Bivol (174.12) — for the IBF, WBC, WBO and WBA light heavyweight titles

Undercard (DAZN at 12 p.m. ET)

Fabio Wardley (241.6) vs. Frazer Clarke (271.3)

Jai Opetaia (198.9) vs. Jack Massey (199.12) — for Opetaia’s IBF cruiserweight title

Chris Eubank Jr. (159.12) vs. Kamil Szeremeta (159.12)

Skye Nicolson (125.9) vs. Raven Chapman (125.9) — for Nicolson’s WBC featherweight title

Ben Whittaker (174.9) vs. Liam Cameron (174.6)

Mohammaed Alakel (131.6) vs. Jesus Gonzalez (131.6)

Marco Maric (152.6) vs. Christian Lopez Flores (151.9)

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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

Dan Argueta, Josh Fremd, and Jared Gooden have some explaining to do.

The three fighters competing at UFC Vegas 98 all failed to make weight at Friday morning’s official weigh-ins, with Argueta (138.5) missing by 2.5 pounds, Fremd (186) by 3 pounds, and Gooden (172.5) by 1.5 pounds. Their respective opponents Cody Haddon, Abdul Razak Alhassan, and Chidi Njokuani all successfully made weight.

Officials later announced that all three bouts will proceed as catchweights, with Fremd forfeiting 30 percent of his purse as penalty, and Argueta and Gooden both forfeiting 20 percent.

The misses are a particularly bad look for Fremd and Gooden, both of whom have been tripped up by the scale in the past.

For the second time in his UFC career, Fremd weighed in three pounds over the limit. He also came in at 189 pounds for a middleweight bout against Jamie Pickett at UFC Vegas 78 in August 2013, later going on to defeat Pickett by unanimous decision.

Gooden has now missed weight three times as a UFC fighter. Most recently, he came in six pounds over the limit for a fight with Carlston Harris in March 2023, though on that occasion he had accepted the bout on less than a week’s notice. He is 0-2 after failing to make weight.

In more positive news, flyweight headliners Brandon Royval and Tatsuro Taira successfully weighed in for Saturday’s main event, with both registering at 125.5 pounds. Royval is currently tied for the No. 2 spot in the MMA Fighting Global Rankings, with the undefeated Taira at No. 8. Whoever leaves UFC Vegas 98 with a win might also put themselves in pole position for a shot at flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja.

See official UFC Vegas 98 weigh-in results below.

Main Card (ESPN+ at 7 p.m. ET)

Brandon Royval (125.5) vs. Tatsuro Taira (125.5)

Brad Tavares (185) vs. Jun Yong Park (185.5)

Chidi Njokuani (170.5) vs. Jared Gooden (172.5)*

Grant Dawson (156) vs. Rafa Garcia (154.5)

Daniel Rodriguez (170) vs. Alex Morono (170.5)

Abdul Razak Alhassan (186) vs. Josh Fremd (189)**

Preliminary Card (ESPN+ at 4 p.m. ET)

CJ Vergara (126) vs. Ramazan Temirov (125.5)

Jonathan Pearce (145) vs. Pat Sabatini (145)

Themba Gorimbo (170.5) vs. Niko Price (170.5)

Julia Polastri (115) vs. Cory McKenna (115)

Junior Tafa (241) vs. Sean Sharaf (252)

Dan Argueta (138.5)*** vs. Cody Haddon (135)

Clayton Carpenter (125.5) vs. Lucas Rocha (125.5)

*Gooden missed weight. His bout with Chidi Njokuani proceeds at a catchweight with Gooden forfeiting 20 percent of his purse as penalty

**Fremd missed weight. His bout with Abdul Razal Alhassan proceeds at a catchweight with Fremd forfeiting 30 percent of his purse as penalty

***Argueta missed weight. His bout with Cody Haddon proceeds at a catchweight with Argueta forfeiting 20 percent of his purse as penalty

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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

The UFC Vegas 98 weigh-in video features 26 fighters stepping on the scale Friday morning in Las Vegas. Watch a live stream of the official weigh-ins above, courtesy of Ag. Fight.

In the main event, Brandon Royval and Tatsuro Taira have to hit the flyweight limit of 126 pounds for the non-title fight.

Royval has won four of his past five fights, while Taira has never suffered a professional loss (16-0 overall, 6-0 in the UFC).

The UFC Vegas 98 official weigh-ins begin at 12 p.m. ET.

Check out UFC Vegas 98 weigh-in results below.

Main Card (ESPN+ at 7 p.m. ET)

Brandon Royval vs. Tatsuro Taira

Brad Tavares vs. Jun Yong Park

Chidi Njokuani vs. Jared Gooden

Grant Dawson vs. Rafa Garcia

Daniel Rodriguez vs. Alex Morono

Abdul Razak Alhassan vs. Josh Fremd

Preliminary Card (ESPN+ at 4 p.m. ET)

CJ Vergara vs. Ramazan Temirov

Jonathan Pearce vs. Pat Sabatini

Themba Gorimbo vs. Niko Price

Julia Polastri vs. Cory McKenna

Junior Tafa vs. Sean Sharaf

Dan Argueta vs. Cody Haddon

Clayton Carpenter vs. Lucas Rocha

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Comeback
| BJPenn.com

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is just one day away from the upcoming UFC Vegas 98 mixed martial arts (MMA) event, which is set to go down tomorrow night (Sat., Oct. 12, 2024) on ESPN+ from inside APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada. UFC Vegas 98 features a flyweight main event between Top 5 title contenders Brandon Royval and Tatsuro Taira, a five-round headliner with major title implications for early 2025 and beyond.

Before we dive into the main and co-main event, which includes the middleweight showdown between Brad Tavares and Jun Yong Park, check out Andrew Richardson’s “X-Factor” breakdown for the rest of the UFC Vegas 98 main card by clicking here. Get all the latest “Royval vs. Taira” odds and betting props courtesy of FanDuel right here. For UFC Vegas 98 live results and play-by-play click here.

125 lbs.: Brandon Royval vs. Tatsuro Taira

Brandon “Raw Dog” Royval
Record: 16-7 | Age: 32 | Betting line: +235
Wins: 4 KO/TKO, 9 SUB, 3 DEC | Losses: 1 KO/TKO, 1 SUB, 5 DEC
Height: 5’9” | Reach: 68” | Stance: Southpaw
Significant Strikes Landed Per Minute: 4.33 | Striking accuracy: 36%
Strikes Absorbed Per Minute: 3.42 | Striking Defense: 46%
Takedown Average: 0.47 (60% accuracy) | Takedown Defense: 40%
Current Ranking: No. 1 | Last fight: Split decision win over Brandon Moreno

Tatsuro Taira
Record: 16-0 | Age: 24 | Betting line: -290
Wins: 5 KO/TKO, 7 SUB, 4 DEC | Losses: 0 KO/TKO, 0 SUB, 0 DEC
Height: 5’7“ | Reach: 70” | Stance: Orthodox
Significant Strikes Landed Per Minute: 3.56 | Striking accuracy: 65%
Strikes Absorbed Per Minute: 1.70 | Striking Defense: 47%
Takedown Average: 2.35 (47% accuracy) | Takedown Defense: 62%
Current Ranking: No. 5 | Last fight: Technical knockout win over Alex Perez

After an electric run through the ranks of Legacy Fighting Alliance (LFA), Brandon Royval migrated to the UFC roster in early 2020, pretzeling veteran flyweight Tim Elliott to capture the “W” in his Octagon debut. That victory is part of an impressive 6-3 run with four finishes and he’s only lost to two opponents: current flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja and former 125-pound titleholder Brandon Moreno — though “Raw Dawg” did manage to avenge that loss by splitting “Assassin Baby” earlier this year in Mexico City. Royval is a high-volume striker with dreadful accuracy but what he lacks in precision he more than makes up for in frequency. For this weekend’s contest, where the Coloradan defends his top spot in the division rankings, Royval will have to turn up the heat and overwhelm his opponent, who does not have the ferocity of “Raw Dawg” but does have the cleaner, more refined technique. Royval will have a two-inch advantage in height but surrender two inches in reach.

There’s also the matter of Royval’s mental state after witnessing a fatal shooting in Utah.

“I can’t really speak to anybody or speak to anybody else, but I felt like I’ve found myself in a lot of sh*tty situations, and I’ve been around a lot of sh*t that happens,” Royval told reporters at the UFC Vegas 98 media day. “I feel like I’m a little bit of a sh*t magnet. So I’m not really unfamiliar with some weird sh*t like that. But not necessarily a shooting like that, but I did CPR like a week before on another dude in a car accident. So it’s been a crazy month. I would stay as far away from me as possible to be completely honest. It’s been a crazy month. I’ve been threatened by crackheads, done CPR, been in a car accident, and the f*cking shooting and seeing someone die. Anyways. Probably stay away from me this week.”

Tatsuro Taira has an opportunity to resurrect the Japanese MMA scene as it pertains to UFC. Many of Japan’s top fighters have crossed over to the Octagon and come up short, like Yushin Okami, Yoshihiro Akiyama, and Takanori Gomi, among others. The promotion has certainly taken its sweet time bringing Taira to the head of the class and this weekend’s headliner represents a considerable upgrade in competition. Outside of his victory over No. 6-ranked Alex Perez, which ended by way of second-round injury, Taira has not faced anyone ranked in the Top 15 at 125 pounds. By comparison, eight of Royval’s nine opponents are currently ranked inside the Top 15, which includes the current champion. It’s also worth noting that Taira is still just 24 and may not yet be competing in his fighting prime, taking on a 32 year-old veteran with experience against the best in the world.

“I definitely want to show a big impact,” Taira told reporters at the UFC Vegas 98 media day. “I definitely want to show my strength. That’s something I want to show in this fight. I’m definitely focused on this one, but thinking of title fights, I’ve always dreamed and thought about the title fights. It’s something that I always have in mind. I’d love to have UFC back in Japan, and if I’m the star, I want to be that star to bring that back to Japan.”

There’s a possibility that Royval tries to strike from range or outmaneuver his Japanese foe, in which case I think he gives the fight away. There’s also the possibility that Taira leans on his newfound clinch game to shut down “Raw Dog’s” fists of fury. I have a sneaking suspicion Royval steps on the gas and makes this fight ugly, overwhelming Taira with high-volume, high-pressure offense, forcing the flyweight future star to fold midway through the fight.

Prediction: Royval def. Taira by technical knockout

185 lbs.: Brad Tavares vs. Jun Yong Park

Brad Tavares
Record: 20-9 | Age: 36 | Betting line: +164
Wins: 5 KO/TKO, 2 SUB, 13 DEC | Losses: 5 KO/TKO, 0 SUB, 4 DEC
Height: 6’1“ | Reach: 74” | Stance: Orthodox
Significant Strikes Landed Per Minute: 3.38 | Striking accuracy: 43%
Strikes Absorbed Per Minute: 3.15 | Striking Defense: 55%
Takedown Average: 0.78 (26% accuracy) | Takedown Defense: 81%
Current Ranking: Unranked | Last fight: Technical knockout loss to Gregory Rodrigues

Jun Yong “Iron Turtle” Park
Record: 17-6 | Age: 33 | Betting line: -198
Wins: 5 KO/TKO, 6 SUB, 6 DEC | Losses: 1 KO/TKO, 2 SUB, 3 DEC
Height: 5’10“ | Reach: 73” | Stance: Orthodox
Significant Strikes Landed Per Minute: 4.53 | Striking accuracy: 50%
Strikes Absorbed Per Minute: 3.30 | Striking Defense: 53%
Takedown Average: 1.83 (50% accuracy) | Takedown Defense: 57%
Current Ranking: Unranked | Last fight: Split decision loss to Andre Muniz

Brad Tavares is a good example of how to carve out a successful UFC career without being in a position to make a run at the division title. The Hawaiian keeps an active fight schedule, wins more often than not, and carries himself professionally both inside and outside the cage. Now 36, Tavares is looking to break out of a slump, having dropped three of his last four. That includes his technical knockout loss to Brazilian wrecking ball Gregory Rodrigues at UFC Vegas 86 back in February. Tavares does everything good but nothing great and more than half his wins have come by way of decision. That said, you could probably make the same assessment about his “Sin City” opponent, middleweight “Turtle” Jun Yong Park.

“He’s very well-rounded and puts MMA together,” Tavares told reporters at the UFC Vegas 98 media day. “I don’t think he’s a specialist or an expert anywhere, and obviously he doesn’t have the kickboxing or boxing accolades, the wrestling or even the jiu-jitsu. But he does put them all together well. He’s a very complete MMA fighter. I think his biggest attribute is his toughness, just how tough he is.”

“I’ve watched him in fights where you think, ‘Okay, this guy is done’ and he pulls it out, very similar to (middleweight champion) Dricus (Du Plessis),” Tavares continued. “But I don’t think he’s nowhere near as dangerous as Dricus. Honestly, I think that he’s going to want to go to the ground where he feels like he has his best advantage. But if it ends up being a kickboxing (fight), I’ll take that all day.”

Jun Yong Park has yet to compete in 2024 thanks to a medical withdrawal earlier this year when he was first paired against Tavares at UFC Vegas 94 in July.

So what the heck happened?

“So there was a small scar or small scratch on the back of my ear, and the physician said it was staph infection, so the fight got canceled, unfortunately,” Park told reporters at the UFC Vegas 98 media day. “It was kind of whack. I told (Tavares) what happened and I was sorry. We both cut weight, and we were both looking forward to this, and unfortunately, it didn’t happen. Brad was very understanding. Things happen, you know?”

Like Tavares, Park was also obliterated by Gregory Rodrigues when they went to war at UFC Vegas 41 in late 2021. Park rebounded to capture four straight wins — three by submission — before dropping a split decision to Andre Muniz at UFC Vegas 83. “The Iron Turtle” is a notoriously tough out and is the kind of middleweight who will lace ‘em up against anyone in the 185-pound division.

“I’m a company man and I’ll fight whoever the UFC says,” Park continued. “When I got the contract and it said Brad Tavares again, it was just another day at the job. Nothing really changed for the gameplan. It’s the same opponent. I’m the same guy. The only thing that’s changed is we are going to cut weight twice for this fight.”

These fighters are very similar in style and will likely cancel each other out, though it remains to be seen how much Park uses his wrestling. When push comes to shove, particularly across a three-round affair, it’s hard to pick against a war horse like Tavares.

Prediction: Tavares def. Park by decision

Don’t forget to check out the rest of the UFC Vegas 98 main card predictions RIGHT HERE.

MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC Vegas 98 fight card RIGHT HERE, starting with the ESPN+ preliminary card matchups which are scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. ET, followed by the remaining main card balance on ESPN+ at 7 p.m. ET.

To check out the latest and greatest UFC Vegas 98 news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive here. For the updated and finalized “Royval vs. Taira” fight card and ESPN+ lineup click here.

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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

Kayla Harrison is taking the high road.

Just hours before she defeated Ketlen Vieira at UFC 307, her former employers at PFL posted a message on Twitter mocking Harrison’s one and only loss when she fell to Larissa Pacheco by decision back in 2022. The viral tweet got plenty of attention with Pacheco saying the move was “uncalled for” and UFC CEO Dana White laughing it off while adding “when you’re losing as much money as they are, f*cking go for it.”

For her part, Harrison saw the tweet but she refused to take the bait and engage in some kind of war of words with her former promoters.

“I operate from a place of gratitude, and I grew up in that organization,” Harrison told MMA Fighting. “I was able to financially provide for my family. I have financial abundance. I grew so much there. I’m grateful for what I believe I helped build over there. I feel like I was a big part of that, and I take pride in that.

“But I just don’t have time for that kind of negativity and those digs. I don’t care. I’m staying in my lane. I’m doing my thing. I’m chasing my dreams. If anybody has a problem with that, I’ve said it very clearly before — they can go f*ck themselves. I don’t have anything to say. You want to talk shit about me losing a fight? Go ahead.”

Since leaving PFL in free agency and signing with UFC, Harrison has largely avoided taking shots at the organization she called home for the first 17 fights of her career.

Meanwhile, PFL co-founder Donn Davis has continually claimed Harrison left the organization because she was running away from potential fights against Pacheco and Cris Cyborg — despite the fact that Harrison actually holds two wins over Pacheco from previous encounters.

Regardless, Harrison won’t suddenly start bashing PFL just because the promotion has decided to use her name in an attempt to promote an upcoming fight between Pacheco and Cyborg on Oct. 19.

“That’s why I don’t have to say anything,” Harrison explained. “Because those choices speak for themselves. I’m not going to go low. I’m not going to talk shit. I’m not going to say a bunch of stuff that I could say and air a bunch [of dirty laundry]. I’m not going to do that because there’s no point.

“That’s not who I am as a person. That’s not the kind of business that I want to do. That’s not what I want to be known for. So I’ll just keep my head down, work hard, you want to talk shit about me? Go ahead. I helped build that company.”

As far as her decision to change promotions, Harrison is confident now more than ever she made the right choice.

“I have no doubts,” Harrison said. “I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be.”

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