UFC Las Vegas 108 takes place from the APEX facility where a smaller twenty-five-foot octagon will be in use. Few fans can attend these events now but soon enough APEX will be finished with a facility expansion which will allow more fans to be able to take in these quaint, boutique fight slates.
The main event of this card had not one but two cancellations for the originally scheduled flyweight fighter Tatsura Taira who now fights a short notice replacement from South Korea in undefeated Hyun Sung Park.
Park travels around the globe on short notice to take a fight against Taira but for Taira this is also unsettling because he now prepares to fight a third athlete that he has only days to prepare for.
The short notice aspect of this fight is fascinating for Park must mentally prepare to both travel across the globe then make the 126-pound weight limit while Taira, the beneficiary of a full camp, must prepare stylistically for his third opponent.
I mention here often what a fantastic job the UFC does to keep these forty-three to forty-five fight cards each year held together as these athletes get injured, have visa issues, get sick and on occasion side-step opponents. Dealing with the issues, the personalities, and the egos of these fighter’s day in and day out to keep these fight cards interesting for fans should not be underestimated.
Last week we took advantage of a rare two-unit victory with a value laden Russian grappler in Assu Almabaev who dominated pace in his fight against the up-and-coming Peruvian Jose Ochoa. Almabaev opened -400 and we were able to bet him -110 which is why we upped the investment to two units.
We add two units to this year’s accounting for a 2025 tally of 15-17 -1.32u
Tatsuro Taira -300 vs. Hyun Sung Park +260 Flyweight (125lbs.) main event
As mentioned in the opening, Taira takes on Park in a short notice bout for each fighter. That said, it is Taira who is the beneficiary of a full training camp.
Taira enters off a loss to Brandon Royval in which he picked up tremendous amount of experience albeit in a loss but to a legitimate title contender in the division. At 16-1 Taira enters this fight on the bounce and prepared to make amends for his last setback.
Taira is a world class grappler and submission specialist, but he is also a capable striker. His sixteen wins show seven wins via submission, five via the KO/TKO and four decision wins.
That fight against Royval in my judgement makes Taira a forceful figure in the division now based on his fight weaponry, his growing experience, his youthfulness, and his drive.
For the 10-0 South Korean Park, this is a tremendous opportunity to endear himself to the UFC by first, trying to win a battle against a ranked opponent but second and as importantly, to do the UFC a favor by taking a fight across the globe against a highly talented and ranked adversary on short notice.
*As a side note for the UFC to have to settle on the South Korean Park for a fight in Las Vegas, we must understand that there had to be a bevy of local US fighters who said no to taking on Taira in this spot for the UFC.
Park enters this fight 3-0 in UFC competition, but this fight signifies a substantial step up in class because Park has not competed against any gifted let alone world class mixed martial artists prior to this battle.
These fighters are similar in size, but Taira will have height, reach and experience advantages that substantiate his favorite price as I handicap this bout.
Total in this fight: 3.5Rds Under -130
Mateusz Rebecki -205 vs. Chris Duncan +180 Lightweight (155lbs.) co main
Fight enthusiasts best not miss this barn burner!
Polish wrestling talent Rebecki is short, squat, powerful, determined and on the ascent in the division after answering a loss to Diego Ferriera with a most impressive victory over Myktybek Orolbai.
Rebecki who uses his sawed-off physique as a weapon possesses a positive strike differential to couple with his unrelenting takedown success for he averages almost four take downs per round as well he fends off 75% of incoming take downs which is impressive especially after that bout against the most formidable wrestling talent Oralbai.
For the Scotsman Duncan, he boasts close to the same staggering success in both significant strike differential as well take downs executed per five rounds. However, what Duncan has struggled with and something that may well be foundational in this fight is his ability to stop takedowns for his success rate is a paltry 37% which is a glaring statistic for anyone confronting Rebecki.
Duncan, should he be able to keep this fight standing will hold height and reach advantages and I will even give him the striking edge, but he must keep this scrap standing because if the unrelenting Rebecki can haul Duncan to the mat, Polish wrestling dominance will be displayed.
Rebecki opened -221 for this matchup and his price has dipped just a bit. This fight will be determined by Duncan’s take down defense for if he can keep this on the feet, he has advantage, but should this fight hit the floor look for the polish Rebecki to flog the Scot.
Total in this fight: 1.5Rds Over -160
Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos -210 vs. Neil Magny +180 Welterweight (170lbs.)
Brazilian Capoeira fighting specialist Elizeu utilizes his stout, compact frame to hurl flamboyant, creative, and yet devastating spinning heels, elbows and knees towards opponents understanding that when one lands it destroys.
The issue for the well versed Zaleski is that he is now thirty-eight and 1-2 in his last couple of UFC competitions.
Zaleski still sports a positive strike differential per five minutes of fight time and when Elizeu lands any shot, the target opponent often crumbles for Zaleski invests tremendous energy into every single one of his strike offerings.
Zaleski can grapple and his take down defense formidable for Zaleski is most dangerous and at his best when competing in a stand-up battle.
For Neil Magny this is a foundational fight. Magny arrives to this war having lost three of his last four which on paper should be a red flag, however we must understand who Magny has faced in these last four bouts!
Sure Magny’s lost to Mike Morales, Carlos Prates, and Ian Machado Garry with a win against ascending welterweight Mike Mallot, but those three losses were to elite killers in the division.
So Magny enters desperate and used to facing absolute killers while Elizeo arrives after having been bullied by nominally talented striker Chidi Njokuani.
Based on Magney’s physical advantages of age, height, reach and level of competition faced I must regard him as being more positioned to compete effectively against Zaleski than the current betting line indicates.
In a fight lined 2.5 Rds. Over -185 I really favor Magny’s changes here to compete effectively wherever this fight takes place, on the mat, against the fence or standing.
Magny +180
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Thank you for reading and enjoy the fights!