UFC Fight Night: Royval vs. Taira Predictions

All odds are with Picklebet Use Code: 'GOBET500'

UFC Fight Night 244 takes place on Sunday (AEDT) at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and we’ve got our UFC predictions for all the fights below and you can place your bets with the best betting sites Australia has to offer!

UFC Fight Night 244 Predictions

Best New Betting Sites

Launched Feb 2025
Use Code: 'GOBET100'Check Offers

Use Code: 'GOBET500'Check Offers

Use Code: 'GOBET100'Check Offers

Use Code: 'GOBET500'Check Offers

What are you prepared to lose today?

Set a deposit limit.

Best Betting Sites

Use Code: 'GOBET500'Check Offers

Launched Feb 2025
Use Code: 'GOBET100'Check Offers

Use Code: 'GOBET500'Check Offers

Use Code: 'GOBET100'Check Offers

Use Code: 'GOBET500'Check Offers

Use Code: 'GOBET'Check Offers

Use Code: 'GOBET500'Check Offers

Take Us On!
Login to View Offers!Check Offers

Use Code: 'GOBET500'Check Offers

Use Code: 'GOBET100'Check Offers

Use Code: 'JBGOBET'Check Offers

Use Code: 'GOLD100'Check Offers

Use Code: 'GOBET50'Check Offers

What are you prepared to lose today?

Set a deposit limit.

Brandon Royval vs. Tatsuro Taira Prediction

Brandon Royval’s only loss in his last five fights was in a 125lb title fight and he’ll try to keep that good run going against the in-form Tatsuro Taira, who is eyeing his own potential title shot after winning all six of his UFC bouts so far.

The 32-year-old Royval fights at a very high tempo and is always looking to go on the offensive. He’s a bit wild, but he is talented and will offer up a versatile, unpredictable striking arsenal on the feet and he maintains that energy on the mat too by committing to submission attempts and scrambling opportunities wherever possible, and he has a good finishing record there.

The 24-year-old Taira is a former Shooto champion who holds a perfect 16-0 career record so far. He’ll have a 2″ reach advantage here despite being 2″ shorter than Royval and he does like to strike from range with good accuracy and clean technique. Meanwhile, Taira’s grappling game is a strong suit that’s led to numerous submission finishes, and he’s a capable wrestler too.

Royval’s fast and furious approach is always tricky to deal with, but Taira has shown good composure for his age and he’ll be more clinical with his striking and has the skill to do well on the mat too, though I think he may well need to fight to the scorecards to secure a decision win here.

Prediction: Tatsuro Taira to win by decision.

All odds are with Picklebet Use Code: 'GOBET500'

Brad Tavares vs. Jun-Yong Park Prediction

Brad Tavares has lost three of his last four fights, but now lands a co-main event spot opposite Jun-Yong Park, who was on a four-fight winning streak before losing out by split-decision in his last appearance.

The 36-year-old Tavares is a true veteran of the middleweight division who has been competing in the UFC for over 14 years. He’s a steady, consistent fighter with a respectable enough skill-set to win more fights than he’s lost over the years, but he hasn’t made enough of an impact to be considered a star or make a serious push for title contention. He’s primarily a striker with efficient boxing fundamentals, particularly with his jab, together with having good range management, while he also has solid takedown defense and good cardio. However, he has very little power, having registered just two finishes from 14 wins in the UFC. Meanwhile his durability is now becoming a concern, having been TKO’d in the first round twice in the past year.

The 33-year-old Park has compiled a 7-3 run in the UFC so far and is a solid all-rounder. On the feet Park keeps a good pace and is active offensively, does a nice job of counter-striking and has proven to have good durability. He’s successfully leaned more into his wrestling and grappling in recent years though, showing good persistence in his approach, and his last three victories have all come via rear-naked choke.

Tavares does appear to be in decline now, with some some of his speed and durability fading, and I think that will enable a tough, determined and hard-working fighter like Park to press the action and mix up his approach to emerge with a decision victory.

Prediction: Jun-Yong Park to win by decision.

All odds are with Picklebet Use Code: 'GOBET500'

Chidi Njokuani vs. Jared Gooden Prediction

After a three fight losing slump Chidi Njokuani moved back down to 170lbs for the first time in several years last time out and earned a split-decision victory. Now he’ll take on Jared Gooden, who is 1-1 so far in his 2nd stint in the UFC.

It was surprising to see Njokuani back down at 170lbs last time out as he’s had trouble making that weight in the past, and it can’t be any easier at 35-years-old. Still he did make the limit on that occasion and it does give him a size advantage in the Octagon, being a big physical presence at 6ft 3″ with a long 80″ reach. And he makes full use of that with his explosive muay thai striking which brings all eight long limbs into play as potential fight-enders, whether at range or close quarters. He carries his power later into fights, but doesn’t solely rely on winning by T(KO) as he isn’t a complete fish out of water on the mat and he also has a favorable 8-2 record when his fights go to the scorecards. At this stage in his career his durability is becoming an issue though, with two of his last three losses over the past few years coming via TKO.

The 30-year-old Gooden is a big, muscular fighter in his own right who has also moved between 170lbs and 185lbs at times. He’ll still be giving up 3″ in height and reach to Njokuani here though. 32 fights into his MMA career Gooden’s actually had two separate runs in the Octagon, but has struggled to keep his head above water, with his first stint ending with just one win from four fights in 2020-2021. Last year he returned to the UFC with a loss that was further marred by missing weight, but a submission win over wellington Turner last time out will build some confidence. He’s a solid striker who will press forward with good power, but is quite hittable, while he’s proven to be capable in the grappling department too with a respectable number of submission finishes.

I don’t think it’ll suit Gooden that he doesn’t have a size advantage here, and I’d expect Njokuani to prove to be the better technical striker and clinch fighter, while also being able to fend off potential takedown attempts, leading him to a late TKO win.

Prediction: Chidi Njokuani to win by TKO in Rd3.

All odds are with Picklebet Use Code: 'GOBET500'

Grant Dawson vs. Rafa Garcia Prediction

A KO loss to Bobby Green last year remains Grant Dawson’s only defeat in 11 UFC fights, and coming off a decision win in June he now fights Rafa Garcia, who has gone 4-1 in his last five appearances.

The 30-year-old Dawson employs a robust wrestling game to pave the way to his very good grappling ability. He’s good at taking the back and 13 of his 21 career wins have come by way of submission, mostly via rear-naked choke. He’s also got good cardio and has shown knack for being able to control other talented fighters on the mat for extended periods, including former Olympic wrestling gold medalist Mark Madsen and Damir Ismagulov. Meanwhile on the feet he doesn’t really stand out but is a functional striker and is fairly durable too.

The 30-year-old Garcia entered into the UFC 2021 after a run as Combate Americas lightweight champ and didn’t get off to the best of starts, but has since put together a steady run of form that includes a win over Clay Guida last time out. He’s a capable all-rounder who can compete everywhere and has never been finished by either strikes or submission. Like Dawson he is more dangerous on the mat thanks to his grappling skill. On the feet though Garcia’s 3″ shorter than Dawson, gives up 2″ in reach and lacks a finishing threat, mustering only one stoppage win via strikes in his entire career.

Garcia is a decent enough fighter but has tended to come off second-best against more notable opposition in the UFC, and beating a version of Clay Guida that’s well into his 40’s doesn’t convince me that he’s ready for a sizeable step up in difficulty level against Dawson on Saturday night. Dawson won’t be phased by what he’s got to offer on the feet, is the stronger wrestling and is significantly better than him on the mat, so a submission finish is a possibility, but I’ll say he settles for a control-based decision win.

Prediction: Grant Dawson to win by decision.

All odds are with Picklebet Use Code: 'GOBET500'

Daniel Rodriguez vs. Alex Morono Prediction

Daniel Rodriguez is coming in off a three-fight losing slump as he now attempts to steady the ship against Alex Morono, who has been alternating between wins and losses over the past six fights.

Rodriguez’s loss of form is unexpected given that he was a man on the rise just a couple of years ago, having won 7 of his 8 UFC fights at that stage. D-Rod is just a couple of months shy of his 38th birthday now though, so he’s now under pressure to prove that he’s not running out steam. Rodriguez is a striker who presses the action with a boxing-orientated approach, working nicely behind the jab and is capable of setting up solid combinations to the head and body. He’s generally not a one-punch knockout artist, but his volume-striking and steady work-rate does take a toll over the course of a fight. He has looked less convincing lately though, and I think this match-up will be a good test as to whether he is now in decline as a fighter or not.

Morono is a few years younger than D-Rod at 34, but he too has shown signs in his recent fights that he might not be at his best any more. On the feet he’s not the most athletic, but he’s a solid striker who takes the fight to his opponent and like to trade at close range with good volume. Despite that he’s not the hardest hitter, with just two of his 13 UFC wins coming via TKO, and he’s slower than he used to be, which in turn is also making him easier to hit and that has started to chip away at his durability. Meanwhile Morono is a capable grappler who will look for submissions if he’s grounded, though the majority of his wins in the Octagon have come on the scorecards.

So both fighters aren’t performing at their best these days, but even though he’s older I think Rodriguez might still have enough left in the locker to get the better of the striking action here to emerge with a decision victory.

Prediction: Daniel Rodriguez to win by decision.

All odds are with Picklebet Use Code: 'GOBET500'

Abdul Razak Alhassan vs. Josh Fremd Prediction

Abdul Razak Alhassan has only won two of his last eight fights, so he’ll be desperately seeking a victory on Saturday night against Josh Fremd, who isn’t fairing any better with just a couple of wins to show from his six Octagon appearances.

At 39-years-old there’s no doubt that Alhassan is at the tail-end of his career, and his recent record reflects that. However, the fact that his two wins during that period both came via KO serves as a reminder that he’s still a dangerous striker. In fact, all 12 of his career victories have come via strikes, a testament to his explosive power on the feet, with thunderous punches generally being his most dangerous weapon, backed up by his agile kicking ability. Alhassan also has a judo background that he rarely uses and can also wrestle, but there’s not a whole lot to his ground game. He also has real trouble maintaining his cardio over three rounds if he can’t find a finish, which helps explain why all four of his fights that have ended by decision have resulted in losses.

The 30-year-old Fremd is a big middleweight standing 6ft 4″ tall, giving him an extra 6″ over Alhassan, though only 3″ more in reach. He’ll use his physicality and a mixed bag of skills to make up for his athletic limitations, applying pressure whether it’s via striking, grinding clinch-work or threatening with choke-based submissions. He’s had notable success with that, ending 8 of his 11 career victories inside the distance, split evenly between strikes and submissions. Meanwhile, Fremd is quite hittable, but is tough enough to endure a lot of punishment and has more stamina than Alhassan.

The longer this fight goes the more it favors Fremd as Alhassan will run out of steam well before the final bell if he doesn’t land a killer blow. Even though he’s almost a decade older, Alhassan will still have a distinct speed advantage though, and with the power he possesses I think he’ll make that count in the opening round to deliver a TKO finish.

Prediction: Abdul Razak Alhassan to win by TKO In Rd1.

Great UFC Offers!Check Offers

Use Code: 'GOBET500'Check Offers

[the_ad_group id=”2000243″]

UFC Fight Night 244 Prelims

(Predicted winners in bold)

C.J. Vergara vs. Ramazan Temirov
Jonathan Pearce vs. Pat Sabatini
Themba Gorimbo vs. Niko Price
Chris Barnett vs. Junior Tafa
Daniel Argueta vs. Cody Haddon
Julia Polastri vs. Cory McKenna
Clayton Carpenter vs. Lucas Rocha