MMA Preview – Tatsuro Taira vs Jesus Santos Aguilar at UFC Vegas 68

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TATSURO TAIRA VS JESUS SANTOS AGUILAR FACTS
When is UFC Fight Night 218? Sunday 5th February, 2023 - 04:00 start (UK)
Where is UFC Fight Night 218? UFC APEX, Enterprise, Nevada (US)
Where can I get tickets for UFC Fight Night 218? Click here to buy tickets for UFC Fight Night
What channel is UFC Fight Night 218 on? BT Sport 1
Where can I stream UFC Fight Night 218? BT Sport subscribers can stream the fight online via the BT Sport website
For viewers in the United States, the event will be shown live on ESPN+ and you can sign up for access as part of a Disney Bundle here!
TATSURO TAIRA VS JESUS SANTOS AGUILAR LOWDOWN
Tatsuro Taira (12-0) continues his violent quest up the flyweight rankings protecting his unbeaten record. The jiu-jitsu ace stormed into the UFC off the back of three straight submissions all in the first round. He made his debut against Carlos Candelario (2022) and could not find another submission but did win the unanimous decision. However, he got back to old ways with a slick armbar over CJ Vergara back in October.
He welcomes a fellow ground specialist to the UFC. Jesus Santos Aguilar (8-1) makes his debut while riding an eight-fight win streak. He has earnt the opportunity after a great performance on the Contender Series back in August last year. He took on Erisson Ferreira da Silva and snatched up a guillotine in the third round – the sixth sub of his career.
TATSURO TAIRA VS JESUS SANTOS AGUILAR PREDICTION
It is somewhat baffling to see a prospect of Taira’s calibre matched up with a debutant, but when you see Aguilar’s skillset, you can see why. Like Taira, the Mexican is a beast on the mat with excellent jiu-jitsu so the UFC will hope to see how legitimate Taira’s ground skills are or whether his striking has evolved enough to put Aguilar away.
Aguilar will be the one hunting the submission, but we feel Taira’s ground skills will cancel out his threat and he has the repertoire to run away with this one. He is a better striker with a speed and power advantage and is also the bigger man. He will be boasting a significant eight-inch reach and three-inch height advantage.
It is hard to see how the Mexican wins this and the value is on a Taira knockout considering how quickly he is improving.
Prediction: Taira via Decision - CLICK HERE FOR PARIMATCH'S WELCOME OFFER (BET £5, GET £30 IN BONUSES!)
Value Bet: Taira via KO/TKO
