Former UFC men's flyweight title challenger Brandon Royval looks to get back into title contention when he squares off with undefeated Tatsuro Taira in the main event of UFC Fight Night at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Saturday (7 p.m. ET on ESPN+, with prelims at 4 p.m. on ESPN+).
Royval, No. 2 in ESPN's divisional rankings, is coming off a split decision win over former champion Brandon Moreno in February. Royval has won four of his last five bouts. Taira, ESPN's No. 6 ranked flyweight, has six wins in the Octagon, finishing four of six UFC opponents.
Brett Okamoto spoke to UFC welterweight Michael Chiesa to get his perspective on the main event. ESPN betting expert Ian Parker adds insight and analysis on the main event and other intriguing bets he likes on the card.
Editor's note: Responses have been edited for brevity and clarity.