UFC Vegas 108 Main Event Odds, Picks, Predictions: Taira Vs. Park
The UFC Vegas 108 full fight card airs on ESPN and ESPN+. The preliminary card for the UFC Fight Night event begins at 6 p.m. ET. The main card follows at 9:00 p.m. ET.
UFC Vegas 108 Main Event: Tatsuro Taira vs. Hyun Sung Park
Tatsuro Taira (16-1) rose through the UFC flyweight ranks fairly quickly. He joined the UFC in May 2022 with a record of 10-0, and after winning the Shooto flyweight title.
Taira opened his UFC career with a unanimous decision win over Carlos Candelario in May 2022. He followed that with back-to-back submission wins in contests where he earned 'Performance of the Night' bonuses, defeating C.J. Vergara and Jesús Santos Aguilar.
Wins over Edgar Chairez and Carlos Hernandez in 2023 followed.
In June, Taira got the first true test of his UFC career when he faced Alex Perez in a main event on a UFC Fight Night card at the Apex. At the time, Taira was the No. 13 ranked fighter in the UFC's flyweight division, and Perez, who had fought Deiveson Figueiredo for the UFC 125-pound title in 2020, was ranked No. 5.
The fight ended when Taira took the back of his opponent in the center of the Octagon and forced him to the mat, putting enormous pressure on Perez's knee and causing an injury that brought the fight to a halt in the second stanza. From all appearances, and judging from his comments after the victory, the move that finished the contest was a designed technique.
That win put Taira at No. 5 in the UFC rankings, earning him a shot at former UFC flyweight title challenger Brandon Royval, who entered the October 2024 contest as the No. 1 ranked in the UFC's 125-pound division.
Royval and Taira put on a 'Fight of the Night' bonus-winning scrap, but the more experienced Royval took home the split-decision win, handing Taira the first loss of his professional career.
The 25-year-old Taira is currently the No. 6 ranked UFC flyweight.
Hyun Sung Park (10-0) won Road to UFC in early 2023 with a knockout of Seung Guk Choi. He followed that with a knockout of Shannon Ross in late 2023. Park did not compete in 2024 having had fights against Andre Lima and Nyamjargal Tumendemberel cancelled. He returned to the Octagon in March, scoring a first-round submission win over Carlos Hernandez at UFC Vegas 106.
I wrote of the 29-year-old at the time, 'HyunSung Park looked excellent at UFC Vegas 106, moving to 3-0 in the UFC's flyweight division. Park used effective striking to hurt Carlos Hernandez against the fence. That striking made Hernandez move to the clinch, but Park showed his overall MMA ability in scoring a takedown, which led to a back take and a rear naked choke sub at 2:26 of Round 1. The 29-year-old Park looks ready for a test in his next outing as he has picked up three finishes in three UFC outings.'
He gets that test in a big way and on short notice on Saturday night.
Park has only gone the distance once in his MMA career.
UFC Vegas 108 Main Event: Tatsuro Taira Vs. Hyun Sung Park Opening Odds And Betting Line Movement
When BetOnline announced its opening odds for Taira vs. Park, Taira was the -300 betting favorite over the +240 Park. Today, Taira is listed at -355 by the site, while Park is the +280 betting underdog.
UFC Vegas 108 Main Event Tale Of The Tape: Tatsuro Taira Vs. Hyun Sung Park
Age: 25
Height: 5'7'
Reach: 70'
Stance: Orthodox
Age: 29
Height: 5'7'
Reach: 66'
Stance: Orthodox
UFC Vegas 108 Main Event Predictions And Picks: Tatsuro Taira Vs. Hyun Sung Park
The good news heading into this fight is that Park is not coming into UFC Vegas 108 fully unprepared. He was booked opposite Steve Erceg for next week's UFC Vegas 109 card, so he will at least face Taira with most of a fight camp behind him. However, that fight was scheduled for three rounds, while this contest is a five-round affair.
Taira is a good striker, he is better on the mat. However, he is aware how fights are scored, so he'll engage in striking before moving to his grappling. Park, on the other hand looks to grapple first.
Taira is the more well-rounded fighter in this contest and that will allow him to carry the day. The pick is for Taira to win via stoppage. I see him scoring a knockdown against Park, but I'm unsure if the finish will be more strikes or if Taira follows things to the ground to get the sub. Considering Taira's grappling skills, go with the submission.
We will have more on the UFC Vegas 108 fight card as fight night nears, including live results, reactions, highlights and more on fight night.
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