Shake-up! UFC Vegas 93 re-arranges matchups, Alex Perez vs. Tatsuro Taira now headlines

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is starting to invest in Flyweight main events.

Alex Perez (25-8), 32, recently pulled off a big main event upset to snap a three-fight losing skid when he knocked out Matheus Nicolau at UFC Vegas 91 last month (April 27, 2024). Days after his victory, Perez lined up his next bout, a clash with top Russian contender, Tagir Ulanbekov (15-2), at UFC Vegas 93 on June 15, 2024.

However, the promotion has now pivoted, according to Eurosport’s Marcel Dorff.

Perez versus undefeated (15-0) Japanese contender, Tatsuro Taira, will now headline the event. Ulanbekov will instead face Taira’s originally planned opponent, Joshua Van (10-1), that same night.

Taira, 24, has been impressing with each performance in the Octagon, accumulating a five-fight winning streak. Perez will undeniably be his biggest challenge yet, battling for the No. 5 spot in the rankings. Taira is currently ranked No. 13. This will be Taira’s first UFC main event.

The change is also big for Van, who is unranked. Ulanbekov hopes to extend his winning streak to three by taking out the prospect and maintaining his position at No. 12. The bout will be Van’s fourth in UFC.

The current 12-fight line up for UFC Vegas 93 can be seen below.

• 125lbs.: Alex Perez vs. Tatsuro Taira
• 125lbs.: Tagir Ulanbekov vs. Joshua Van
• 125lbs.: Jimmy Flick vs. Nate Maness
• 170lbs.: Adam Fugitt vs. Josh Quinlan
• 135lbs.: Garrett Armfield vs. Brady Hiestand
• 115lbs.: Julia Polastri vs. Josefine Lindgren Knutsson
• 115lbs.: Carli Judice vs Gabriella Fernandes
• 185lbs.: Andre Muniz vs. Ikram Aliskerov
• 145lbs.: Jeka Saragih vs. Westin Wilson
• 125lbs.: Asu Almabayev vs. Jose Johnson
• 145lbs.: Lucas Almeida vs. Timothy Cuamba
• 135lbs.: Miles Johns vs. Douglas Silva de Andrade