There was almost panic after the APEX was missing out on a main event with less than a week to go.
Amir Albazi was meant to be part of the headliner, but had to pull out due to an undisclosed injury.
Instead, undefeated fighter Hyun-Sung Park takes on Tatsuro Taira in a five-round Flyweight bout.
It’s a battle which makes it more eager for both mixed martial artists to win, as there is a lot at stake.
The short-notice main eventer
Park made his debut more than two years ago after entering the final of Road to UFC Season 1, which took place at UFC Vegas 68.
The South Korean picked up a third-round Rear-Naked Choke win against Seung Guk Choi.
The Gyeonggi-Do-born fighter then continued his success with a second-round TKO triumph against Shannon Ross at UFC Vegas 83.
After a knee injury gave him a long layoff, Park returned at UFC Vegas 106 to claim a first-round submission win against Carlos Hernandez.
Although he has only had 10 professional fights in MMA, an opportunity does not get as big as this.
Park has the chance to rise the Flyweight rankings to #6, putting himself relatively close to title contention.
‘Peace of Mind’ has only gone the distance once in his career, securing four KO/TKO wins and five submissions.
It’s a once-in-a-lifetime moment for the South Korean as he aims to make the most of it.
Redeeming his first MMA loss
Taira has gone from being a promising prospect to a solid contender in the 125-pound division.
His last fight went to the judges’ scorecards in a very close five-round battle at UFC Vegas 98.
The Japanese fighter lost by split decision against Brandon Royval, losing his perfect MMA record in the process.
Despite that, Taira’s last two fights have been in the main event, proving that he’s becoming a bigger name in the organisation.
After Albazi pulled out of the fight, the Okinawa-born mixed martial artist has been placed in a strange position.
Originally, Taira had the chance to move up the rankings, but now he has to maintain his contender’s spot.
The 25-year-old doesn’t often go the distance in his fights, stopping 12 of his 15 conquered opponents.
While he hasn’t had much time to prepare for his new opponent, he will be a heavy favourite heading into the UFC APEX.
There still is some exciting bouts ready to take place
Two Guaranteed Lightweight Wars
Despite the main event changing, it doesn’t make a difference for the main card, which is full of anticipated action.
The Co-main event is an electric 155-pound battle between Mateusz Rebecki and Chris Duncan.
Rebecki was involved in one of the most entertaining fights of 2024, winning by split decision against Myktybek Oralbai at UFC 308.
Duncan earned his second consecutive submission win at UFC London after defeating Jordan Vucenic with a Guillotine Choke.
Elves Brener is involved in a fight for redemption as he takes on Esteban Ribovics.
The Brazilian suffered a third-round TKO loss last year against Joel Alvarez at UFC Abu Dhabi, currently standing on a two-fight losing streak.
‘El Gringo’ last fought in March, way he just came short after a split decision loss to Nasrat Haqparast.
However, before that, Ribovics’ last three-round war was unforgettable when he took on Daniel Zellhuber at UFC 306.
The Rest of the Thrilling Main Card
A Women’s Bantamweight matchup sees Karol Rosa aim to defend her ranking in the top 10 against Nora Cornolle.
The Brazilian is aiming to bounce back, while the French 135-pounder tries to earn a second consecutive win.
Two Welterweight veterans go head-to-head as former ranked fighter, Neil Magny, challenges Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos.
Both men are hoping to return to the win column after receiving knockout losses in their last fights.
Two Featherweight prospects start the main card as Danny Silva faces Kevin Vallejos.
‘El Puma’ is looking for his third UFC win after earning two split decisions, while the Argentinian wants to continue from his impressive knockout debut.
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