UFC Vegas 93 had an anti-climatic finish after fate stole a victory for Tatsuro Taira against Alex Perez in round 2 of their main event bout. Though he did not pick up the win the way he wanted (convincingly), he extended his win streak and kept his perfect record intact. But how much did the 24-year-old make in his first UFC main event?
According to NYFights, Taira is expected to bag $110,000, his biggest paycheck in the UFC. The youngster is in fact, steadily climbing the ladder after earning a measly $28,500 in 2023 when he fought Edgar Chairez at UFC 290.
His stocks only skyrocketed after he KOed Carlos Hernandez in R2 the same year and now with his win against the veteran, Perez, he finally has a fat paycheck.
As for his opponent, Alex Perez who came into the fight with a win over Matheus Nicolau which earned him $135,000, Saturday’s bout could make him 180,000 richer. Unfortunately for the one-time title challenger, his earnings most likely will be settled in the hospital for his injured knee.
The anti-climatic UFC Vegas 93 finish
The UFC Apex facility in Vegas saw undefeated Japanese prospect, Tatsuro Taira go against Alex Perez.
The bout started with Perez pressing on the action, taking the fight to the youngster. He established early control but the youngster clawed his way back into the fight and ended the round with a takedown of his own to edge out a close round.
Taira’s goal was to close the distance and pick apart the 32-year-old in the clinch but Perez recognizing the danger kept his distance and fired nasty leg kicks to keep the Jap at bay.
Tatsuro Taira beats Alex Perez via TKO after Perez hurts his leg in round 2 #UFCVegas93 pic.twitter.com/V8R2h8Qd1t
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) June 16, 2024
The second round started much like the first. However, Taira received a stern warning after Herb Dean directed him to be wary of the eye pokes. After this, the younger fighter marched on, pressing for a takedown, and ended up in a dominant position on Perez’s back.
And in a split second, Taira slammed the veteran to the ground in a swift maneuver. The veteran screamed in agony, grabbing his leg and recognizing the severity of the situation, Dean stepped in and waved off the fight, awarding Taira a TKO win.
