Originally slated for UFC on ABC 5, Tatsuro Taira’s initial opponent Kleydson Rodrigues pulled out just the day before competition. Taira will now fight two cards later at UFC 290 opposite a new opponent, Edgar Chairez.
Chairez is currently riding a two-fight win streak over Gianni Vazquez and Roberto Guerrero, which brings his pro record to 10-4, with all ten wins by stoppage. It will be finishing ability vs. finishing ability, as Taira likewise owns ten wins by stoppage on his career record, which is 13-0.
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Betting Odds
Taira will be a -1000 favorite against Edgar Chairez as he welcomes him to the UFC.
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Fight Breakdown
The huge underdog in Chairez is a conventional stance striker with a very good all-round stand-up game. He likes to stick his jab and fade away counter, with good reactions with his head movements as he exits. He is also good at rolling with shots when he does get hit. Given the space, he will chip away at his opponent’s lead leg and box when they try to enter, so as the fight goes on, they are less effective and he can make better use of his aggressive counterstriking. Watch specifically for the check left hook and the slip back right cross.
It will be interesting to see who takes center of the cage, as Tatsuro Taira is also a patient and composed striker. It’s likely that Chairez pushes forward with the intent to give space and land when Taira counters, but Taira is very good at setting up all of his offense soundly. At the end of the day, Taira is going to want to take the fight down but needs to establish some striking beforehand to gain respect. Taira’s biggest criticism is that when he shoots without strikes he can be predictable, but if he can land something significant early he has a better shot.
Taira is excellent at meeting the hips if he can draw his opponent charging in on the line. He capitalizes on the momentum and turns the corner to force them deep into the direction they were already moving. Taira likes to transition to the back as early as possible, where his body triangle is like a vice, and if he sees the opportunity to transition to a triangle or arm as his opponents try to turn into him, he will take it quickly.
Prediction
This fight is a battle of when to commit and when not to. Both Taira and Chairez are great at making their opponents pay for over-aggression. However, I do believe they will be much more equally matched on the feet than on the ground, where Taira has a significant advantage.
Chairez has quite a few submission victories on his record but they typically come after success on the feet has his opponents already compromised, and they have been at a lower level of competition. Taira, I believe, will contend on the feet but ultimately get Chairez on the fence where he can swivel to the back or counter Chairez’s boxing with a reactionary level change.
The lopsided odds make betting on Taira fairly unappealing. This card, in general, has quite a few big favorites and big underdogs, so it may be a good one to go with parlaying picks. Jack Della Maddalena, Bo Nickel, Alexander Volkanovski, and Taira together make -169.
Pick: Tatsuro Taira to win (-1000)
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