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UFC Vegas 98 Preview And Predictions
The UFC is back to its typical home for fight night events, the UFC Apex. The promotion has assembled a five-fight main card for UFC Vegas 98. The crown jewel of the event is the flyweight main event between Brandon Royval and Tatsuro Taira. The remainder of the card is filled with UFC veterans who have had relatively long runs in the promotion.
James: 104-80
Garrett: 105-78
Anthony: 107-75
Jerry: 88-78
Daniel Rodriguez vs. Alex Morono- Welterweight Bout
James: UFC Vegas 98 features a welterweight bout between Daniel Rodriguez and Alex Morono. This matchup pits two veterans against one another. Rodriguez, 37, holds a 7-4 UFC record. Morono, 34, sits at 13-7 in the UFC. That said, both fighters have struggled recently. Rodriguez has lost three consecutive bouts while Morono is 2-3 in his last five.
Rodriguez is a striker with a boxing-orientated approach. He will look to establish his jab and throw shots behind it. Despite mostly boxing, he is willing to mix some kicks into his game. This is all done with volume which helps him with decisions.
Morono is a technical fighter who looks to outstrike his opponent with boxing combinations. On top of that, he has a strong selection of kicks and can do damage with those weapons. He is not elite on the ground, but he has some submission upside. This makes him dangerous in several different areas.
This UFC Vegas 98 bout is a tricky fight to preview. Rodriguez and Morono have both had poor performances recently which makes them both hard to trust with a pick. I will lean toward Rodriguez. In distance striking exchanges, he will hold a size advantage which should help him establish the jab. That should allow him to get early momentum that he can ride to a decision win. I will take Rodriguez by decision.
Garrett: Rodriguez via decision
Jerry: Rodriguez via KO/TKO
Anthony: Rodriguez via KO/TKO
Grant Dawson vs. Rafa Garcia- Lightweight Bout
James: At UFC Vegas 98, lightweights Grant Dawson and Rafa Garcia will face off in the octagon. Dawson is 9-1-1 in the UFC. That sole loss came against Bobby Green. Now, he is looking to rebound and work back to the rankings. In his most recent fight, he got back in the win column with a decision win against Joe Solecki. Garcia is 4-3 in the UFC. Although, two of his losses came at the beginning of his promotional tenure. That makes him 4-1 in his last five fights.
Dawson is a great grappler. This begins with his ability to set up takedowns. Dawson consistently gets in deep on takedown attempts and finishes at an impressive rate. On the ground, he is great at working to the body triangle and controlling the fight for several minutes from that position. In general, he is good at controlling from the top position. The issues with Dawson’s game are his lack of cardio and striking skills. Those are two massive problems.
Garcia is a well-rounded fighter. I don’t think he has any elite skills, but he does not have any flaws that are easily exposeable. On the feet, he has respectable boxing and will land significant strikes. Plus, he has solid offensive wrestling. These skills are present alongside toughness, durability, and cardio.
The UFC Vegas 98 preview hinges on Dawson’s ability to land takedowns. If Dawson can land a few takedowns, he should get enough control time to win a decision. If he cannot, Garcia will be able to pace him while landing big strikes. I will lean toward Dawson’s win equity because I have respect for his grappling. I will take Dawson by decision .
Chidi Njokuani vs. Jared Gooden- Welterweight Bout
James: At UFC Vegas 98, Chidi Njokuani and Jared Gooden will compete in a welterweight bout. Njokuani holds a 3-3 record in the UFC. In his most recent fight, he dropped to welterweight and won over Rhys McKee. Now, he looks to pick up momentum in the division. Gooden has had two stints in the UFC. Overall, he is 2-4 in the promotion; however, he is 1-1 in his current run. That includes a submission win over Wellington Turman and a short-notice loss against Carlston Harris.
Njokuani is a dangerous kickboxer with serious finishing skills. In striking exchanges, Njokuani can land damaging punches, kicks, knees, and elbows. Additionally, he has a wide arsenal of each tool. This is present with a six-foot-three frame and 80-inch reach. That makes it possible for him to control the fight from the outside.
Gooden has had his share of struggles in the octagon, but he appears to be at a career-best level. The best attributes in his skillset are his cardio, toughness, durability, and volume. In tough fights, Gooden will consistently work to outstrike his opponents. The flaw in his game is that he gets hit too much.
This UFC Vegas 98 bout previews as a fight that can go two ways. The first probable outcome is that Njokuani lands a massive shot early which ends the fight. The other is that Gooden survives, lands takedowns, and pulls ahead in the second and third rounds. I will side with Njokuani for the prediction because of how often Gooden gets hit cleanly. I will take Njokuani by first-round knockout .
Garrett: Gooden via submission
Jerry: Njokuani via KO/TKO
Anthony: Njokuani via KO/TKO
Brad Tavares vs. Junyong Park- Middleweight Bout
James: The UFC Vegas 98 co-main event is a middleweight matchup between Brad Tavares and Jun Yong Park. Tavares has over a decade of UFC experience, which has resulted in a 15-9 promotional record. At the moment, he is on a slide, with a 1-3 record in his last four. Park has had a good amount of success throughout his UFC tenure. Overall, he is 7-3 in the promotion.
Tavares is a kickboxer with sensational takedown defense. In his career, he has made a living defending takedowns and outstriking his opponent. The best weapon in his striking is his leg kicks. This allows him to break down opponents. On top of that, he has good hands and will kick above the waist.
Park is a very well-rounded fighter. This is done with offensive wrestling and boxing. The game plan for Park is to attack opponents with leg kicks and jabs before attempting takedowns. This quickly wears on opponents and allows Park to pull ahead.
The UFC Vegas 98 co-main event is an interesting fight to preview. One of the key factors in the breakdown is Tavares’ ability to defend takedowns. If he can, one of the pillars of Park’s strategy will be removed. In theory, Tavares’ takedown should hold up; however, Park’s mix of boxing pressure along with his wrestling could help him create more chances to get the fight to the ground. Ultimately, I will side with Park. On the feet, it is a very close fight. Still, Park is the only fighter who will change to have a wrestling offensive. In a fight that is a virtual coin-flip on the feet, I’ll lean toward Park’s grappling offense and recent run of victories. I will take Park by decision.
James: The UFC Vegas 98 main event is a flyweight bout between Brandon Royval and Tatsuro Taira. This bout is crucial to the flyweight division and may determine a future title contender. Royval is attempting to earn another shot against Alexandre Pantoja after losing a decision to the champion at UFC 296. In the time since, he impressively defeated Brandon Moreno to get back in the win column. Taira is a promising flyweight prospect. At 24 years old, he is 16-0 with six UFC victories. A win over Royval would be enough to get him into a title fight.
Royval has made serious adjustments to his style and it has led to tremendous results. In his early career, he would leverage his cardio by creating a wild and chaotic fight. Those are winnable fights because of his durability, cardio, and finish upside. That said, he has slightly changed into a more technical version of that chaotic wildman. In his fight against Moreno, he lived up to his potential and showed what his refined style could accomplish. Royval paced Moreno with straight shots from the outside, hooks on the inside, and a plethora of kicks. More importantly, he showed an improved ability to work up to his feet when taken down. That is because he used his BJJ skills to create standup opportunities.
Taira is a sensational grappler. In grappling exchanges, he controls position, advances to advantageous positions, throws strikes, and consistently attacks submissions. In striking exchanges, Taira is not exceptional. Although, he does have positive traits. This begins with his shot selection. Taira stays calm and throws straight punches. Those shots are thrown with speed and power. This is enough to make him a threat even if his overall striking skills are not yet fully developed.
The UFC Vegas 98 main event is a tough fight to preview. I think this will be a competitive fight and see paths to victory for both fighters. On the Royval side, he has sensational cardio. If this fight gets into the later rounds, he should hold a significant advantage. At that point, he can unload with combinations. At the same time, Royval takes a ton of risks. That consistent offensive output will give Taira a lot of chances to land powerful strikes. Furthermore, Taira should be able to land takedowns. Royval does not have great takedown defense. In a worst-case scenario, Taira can catch kicks and get the fight to the ground. In grappling exchanges, Taira will have a chance to get to strong positions while Royval scrambles to his feet. If those scrambles are not present, Taira should rack up control time.
Ultimately, I lean toward Taira working in a position that allows him to find a submission. That said, I hate to discount Royval and fully believe he is capable of winning this bout. I am forced to pick a side, however. I will take Taira by third-round submission .
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