UFC Vegas 98 to be Headlined by Top Flyweight Contenders

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UFC will continue it's series of action at the APEX in Las Vegas with UFC Vegas 98: Royval vs Taira, which will be headlined by a pivotal flyweight matchup on October 12.

The main event will see a top flyweight contenders bout as No. 1 ranked contender Brandon Royval takes on No. 5 Tatsuro Taira. In addition, exciting lighweights Grant Dawson and Rafa Garcia lock horns.

UFC Vegas 98 Main Event - Royval vs Taira preview

Division veteran Royval (16-7, fighting out of Englewood, Colo.) steps back into the Octagon determined to be the first fighter to defeat Taira. The former title challenger has secured strong wins against elite competition such as Brandon Moreno, Matheus Nicolau, and Matt Schnell. Royval now looks to secure back-to-back wins and add Taira's name to his resume.

Japan's Taira (16-0, fighting out of Okinawa, Japan) looks to remain undefeated and make the most of his second UFC main event. Now looks to become undeniable for a shot at the title, Taira sets forth to defeat Royval in emphatic fashion.

The highly touted rising star from Japan has wowed fans with his performances against the likes of Alex Perez, Carlos Hernandez, and Edgar Chairez in his UFC career so far.

Dawson vs Garcia preview

Dawson (21-2-1, fighting out of Coconut Creek, Fla.) sets out to make a statement this October. A highly skilled grappler with 13 submission wins to his name, the Florida-based athlete has collected wins against Joe Solecki, Damir Ismagulov, and Mark Madsen. Dawson now aims to spoil Garcia's night and deliver a shutout performance.

Garcia (16-3, fighting out of Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico) returns to action for the first time in 2024. The well-rounded mixed martial artist has made a name for himself in the 155-pound division with his wins over Clay Guida, Jesse Ronson and Natan Levy. Garcia plans to remind the lightweight division just how good he is with a statement win against Dawson.

Additional bouts on the UFC Vegas 98 card include:

• Fireworks are set for the middlweight division as Abdul Razak Alhassan (12-6, fighting out of Denver, Colo. by way of Accra, Ghana) meets Josh Fremd (11-6, fighting out of Englewood, Colo. by way of Pitssburgh, Penn.).
• Dana White's Contender Series flyweight signees Clayton Carptener (7-0, fighting out of Phoenix, Ariz.) and Lucas Rocha (17-1, fighting out of Coari, Amazonas, Brazil) square off.
• Chris Barnett (23-8, fighting out of Athens, Ga.) battles Dana White's Contender Series alumn Waldo Cortes Acosta (12-1, fighting out of Phoenix, Ariz. By way of Fundacion, Barahona, Dominican Republic) at heavyweight.
• Polyana Viana (13-7, fighting out of São Geraldo do Araguaia, Pará, Brazil) takes on Dana White's Contender Series standout Cory McKenna (8-3, fighting out of Cwmbran, Wales) at strawweight.
• Dana White's Contender Series contract winner CJ Vergara (12-5-1, fighting out of San Antonio, Texas) goes toe-to-toe with divison newcomer Ramazan Temirov (17-2, fighting out of Uzbekistan).
• Welterweights Themba Gorimbo (13-4, fighting out of Johannesburg, South Africa) and Niko Price (16-7 2NC, fighting out of Cape Coral, Fla.) look to steal the show.
• Dana White's Contender Series signee Chidi Njokuani (23-10 1NC, fighting out of Garland, Texas) locks horns with Jared Gooden (23-9, fighting out of Atlanta, Ga.) at welterweight.

UFC Vegas 98 Broadacst Details

UFC Fight Night: Royval vs. Taira will be available on ESPN+ (English and Spanish). The prelims will air exclusively on ESPN+ at 1 PM PT / 4 PM ET, followed by the main card airing on ESPN and ESPN+ 4 PM PT / 7PM ET.