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The UFC headed back to the Las Vegas APEX for another Fight Night event last night. Despite a lack of fanfare, this one was a good show overall.
UFC Fight Night: Brandon Royval vs. Tatsuro Taira featured a stone-cold classic headliner and some other fun fights, but what is next for some of the show's stars?
As always, the promotion's matchmakers have some great options on the table for last night's big winners and some of the losers too.
Here are five fights to make following UFC Fight Night: Brandon Royval vs. Tatsuro Taira.
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#5.UFC featherweight bout: Pat Sabatini vs. Bryce Mitchell
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It's arguable that last night's most impressive performance on the preliminary card came from the perenially underrated Pat Sabatini.
He didn't take long at all to dominate and dispatch Jonathan Pearce, forcing him to tap out to a standing rear naked choke in the first round.
The win was Sabatini's sixth in eight UFC appearances and allowed him to bounce back from a nasty loss to Diego Lopes.
Sabatini might've violently fallen to Lopes, but he remains one of the better grapplers at 145 pounds and should probably be given another shot at a ranked opponent next.
A perfect foe for him, then, could be Bryce Mitchell. 'Thug Nasty' remains ranked at No.13, despite not fighting since his knockout loss to Josh Emmett last year.
Given Mitchell's grappling skill, this could be an amazingly fun fight, and would definitely allow Sabatini to test his skills against a high-end opponent. If he could win, he could yet step up into featherweight title contention.
#4. UFC middleweight bout: Jun Yong Park vs. Aliaskhab Khizriev
It wasn't the most exciting fight on last night's card, but Jun Yong Park got the job done. 'The Iron Turtle' earned a decision win over Brad Tavares, despite being dropped in the first round.
The win was Park's fifth in his last six bouts, and Tavares was arguably his biggest name win to date, despite the Hawaiian being largely past his prime.
'The Iron Turtle' probably isn't ready for a ranked opponent just yet, but he's definitely due a step up of sorts at 185 pounds.
One interesting test, then, could pit him against Aliaskhab Khizriev. 'The Black Wolf' is currently 12-0, and while his last fight ended in a No Contest, the Russian is clearly a very dangerous fighter.
This would be a risky bout for both men, as Khizriev is still flying under the radar with many fans, but it'd also be worth booking.
If Park could knock off a high-end prospect, he could fight for a spot in the top 15. A win for 'The Black Wolf', meanwhile, would definitely push him into the forefront of the minds of the fans.
Therefore, it'd be well worth booking this one, probably in the early part of 2025.
#3. UFC lightweight bout: Grant Dawson vs. Benoit Saint-Denis
It was hard not to be impressed by Grant Dawson's performance last night. After being knocked out by Bobby Green a year ago - seemingly putting an end to his hopes of climbing into the lightweight rankings - 'KGD' looked excellent in stopping Rafa Garcia.
This win, coupled with a slower victory over Joe Solecki in the summer, has Dawson back in the spot he was in pre-Green, knocking on the door of the top 15 at 155 pounds.
Therefore, it only makes sense to attempt to book 'KGD' in a fight with a ranked foe next time out.
The UFC doesn't tend to put fighters coming off wins against ones coming off a loss, but one opponent who could make sense for Dawson is Benoit Saint-Denis.
'The God of War' fell to Renato Moicano in a tough bout last month, and has now lost his last two fights. Essentially, the Frenchman is clinging onto his No.12 spot in the rankings.
If he could beat Dawson, he'd remain in the hunt to climb back up into title contention. If 'KGD' could beat him, meanwhile, he'd have his first win over a ranked foe and would probably steal his spot.
There'd be a big reward for both men on the line if the matchmakers were to book this fight, and it could even headline a Fight Night event early next year.
#2. UFC flyweight bout: Tatsuro Taira vs. Steve Erceg
Tatsuro Taira suffered the first loss of his UFC career last night, but somehow, it didn't feel that bad.
The Japanese prospect lost to Brandon Royval in a five-round classic that saw him more than carry his end of the bargain. He ate a ridiculous number of heavy shots, showing off a granite chin, and came close to submitting 'Raw Dawg' on numerous occasions.
Essentially, while the fight maybe showed he isn't quite ready for a flyweight title shot, it definitely proved that he belongs with the elite.
With that in mind, Steve Erceg could be the perfect foe for him to face next.
'Astro Boy' surprised people by pushing Alexandre Pantoja to the limit earlier this year, and while he's since been beaten again by Kai Kara-France, he's still a very real threat to any 125-pound fighter.
A fight between Taira and Erceg would give both men the chance to bounce back into the winner's column, and the loser likely wouldn't slip too far down the ladder either.
That, as well as the excitement factor, would make this one well worth booking.
#1. UFC flyweight bout: Brandon Royval vs. Brandon Moreno or Amir Albazi
Former flyweight title challenger Brandon Royval was last night's biggest winner. Not only did 'Raw Dawg' cement himself as one of the best flyweights in the world by beating Tatsuro Taira, but he also put on one of the best fights of 2024.
Royval's win could well have propelled him into a shot at reigning flyweight kingpin Alexandre Pantoja, who edged him out in their earlier fight last year.
However, that shot is going to newcomer Kai Asakura later this year. Interestingly, rather than demanding his own shot, Royval has seemingly stated that he's happy for Asakura to take the opportunity - and has predicted Pantoja will win.
So who should 'Raw Dawg' fight in the meantime, then? Only one bout makes sense really, and that's with the winner of the upcoming clash between Brandon Moreno and Amir Albazi.
Both men would represent a different test for Royval, with Albazi being primarily a striker and Moreno a grappler. They'd also offer 'Raw Dawg' two different opportunities.
A fight with Albazi would give him a chance to snap a lengthy winning streak dating back to 2019, while a trilogy fight with Moreno would be a chance to settle the score for good.
A win over either man would set Royval up for a title shot, meaning this would be the perfect fight for him to take, preferably in the first quarter of 2025.
