UFC Vegas 68 prelims will feature a flyweight fight between Tatsuro Taira vs Jesus Aguilar that will take place on February 5 at the UFC APEX in Las Vegas, NV.
Although the highlight of the card is arguably the rescheduled heavyweight showdown between Derrick Lewis and Sergey Spivak, there are a few other fights to keep an eye out for. Notably, the card starts off with a flyweight banger between Tatsuro Taira vs Jesus Aguilar, which is the first fight on the preliminary card.
Also Tatsuro Taira vs. Jesus Aguilar officially added to #UFCVegas68. (first rep. @CCLegaspi) pic.twitter.com/axaBX4mIIu
— Marcel Dorff 🇳🇱🇮🇩 (@BigMarcel24) December 28, 2022
The young gun, Tatsuro Taira (12-0) will look to continue his unbeaten run and break into the flyweight rankings. Prior to making his UFC debut, the jiu-jitsu ace had three straight submission wins, all in the first round. As for his UFC stint, Taira made his debut against Carlos Candelario in 2022 and won via unanimous decision. Most recently, he took down CJ Vergara with an armbar in October.
Facing Taira, we have the newcomer Jesus Aguilar (8-1) making his UFC debut. Coming in with an eight-fight win streak, Aguilar took on Erisson Ferreira da Silva in the Contender Series back in August. Following a good performance and a guillotine finish in the third round, Aguilar has made his way to the UFC.
UFC Vegas 68 Prelims: Taira vs Aguilar Head-to-Head Stats
Stats | Tatsuro Taira | Jesus Aguilar |
---|---|---|
Wins | 12 | 8 |
Losses | 0 | 1 |
Height | 1.7 m | 1.63 m |
Division | Flyweight | Flyweight |
Reach | 1.78m | 1.57m |
Age | 23 | 26 |
Tatsuro Taira vs Jesus Aguilar: Fight Breakdown and Prediction
Coming in as the more proven fighter, the Japanese Tatsuro is the clear favorite to win this fight. However, the Mexican Aguilar is no pushover and has some excellent jiu-jitsu himself. With both fighters excelling in the grappling department, we could be seeing the fight going to a standup contest. If so, Taira’s striking, which has seen consistent improvement over time, will be key in putting Aguilar away.
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As per usual, Aguilar will be working to set himself up for a submission, but with Taira’s ground skills, the Mexican will need a backup plan as well. For the most part, Jesus’ striking is nothing spectacular, he is known to throw caution to the wind and go in all guns blazing. Although it is fan-friendly and an enjoyable spectacle, it could well be his downfall against a fighter of Tatsuro’s caliber.
Without any debate, the Japanese fighter is a better striker and has a speed and power advantage along with being the bigger man. Moreover, Taira possesses a significant eight-inch reach and a three-inch height advantage. Bearing all these factors in mind, it is difficult to see how Aguilar wins this one.