Albazi, Taira to meet in Aug. 2 UFC main event
A flyweight bout between top-five contenders Amir Albazi and Tatsuro Taira will headline a UFC Fight Night event Aug. 2 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
Taira's management team announced the matchup Wednesday.
Albazi, ranked No. 3 in the division, is looking to rebound from a unanimous decision loss to former champion Brandon Moreno in the UFC Edmonton main event last November. Albazi had previously won six in a row, including five in the UFC.
The 31-year-old Iraq native holds a win over Kai Kara-France, who is scheduled to challenge Alexandre Pantoja for the 125-pound title at UFC 317 on June 28.
Taira is also coming off the first defeat of his UFC - and pro - career. The 25-year-old Japanese fighter dropped a split decision to Brandon Royval last October. Taira, who's 16-1 in the sport and ranked No. 5 at flyweight, began his UFC run in 2022 with six straight victories.