For the first time in two months, action returns to the UFC APEX this weekend for a fight card laced with competitive fights across eight divisions. Headlined by a flyweight pairing between Tatsuro Taira and HyunSung Park, Saturday’s fight card offers an opportunity to get a closer look at a handful of emerging competitors along with key matchups in a couple divisions. Don't miss a moment of UFC Fight Night: Taira vs Park, live from UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada on August 2, 2025. Prelims start at 6pm ET/3pm PT, followed by the main card at 9pm ET/6pm PT.

This weekend’s main event underwent a late makeover, as Tatsuro Taira will now face off with undefeated Road to UFC winner HyunSung Park. Taira was handed the first loss of his career last October in a competitive and entertaining matchup with Brandon Royval. The 25-year-old Japanese talent is 16-1 overall, headlining for the third consecutive contest, and remains one of the top young talents in the flyweight ranks. A perfect 10-0 to begin his career with each of his last three wins coming inside the distance in the UFC, Park was scheduled to face former title challenger Steve Erceg next week, but instead gets called in to replace Amir Albazi here. The South Korean has outstanding grappling and a keen finishing instinct, having posted finishes in each of his last nine wins.

An outstanding pairing between two exceptional young talents, this clash becomes a measuring stick moment for each athlete. For Taira, it’s a chance to show he’s very much in the thick of the chase in the flyweight division and a step ahead of Park, while the 29-year-old Team MMA Story representative can show that he too deserved to be mention amongst the division’s elite if he can secure a fourth straight UFC win and 11th consecutive victory overall. European lightweights and Dana White’s Contender Series grads occupy the co-main event position this weekend as Poland’s Mateusz Rebecki faces off with Chris Duncan of Scotland.

Rebecki rebounded from his first UFC setback with a split decision win over Myktybek Orolbai last October at UFC 308 in Abu Dhabi, with the duo taking home Fight of the Night honors for their efforts. The powerhouse grappler has gone 4-1 to begin his UFC tenure, with his loss to Diego Ferreira last year halting a 16-fight run of success. Duncan touches down in Las Vegas on a two-fight winning streak, having earned consecutive submission wins over Bolaji Oki and Jordan Vucenic. Just like his opponent, “The Problem” is a member of the DWCS Class of ’22 and has also gone 4-1 over his first five UFC starts to advance to 13-2 overall for his career.

It’s going to be interesting to see how this one ends up playing out, as both men have shown equal willingness to keep things standing or take things to the ground. Rebecki is the more decorated grappler of the two, while Duncan brandishes the greater power in his hands, but neither will feel uncomfortable in any setting, which should make for an entertaining scrap once the two men step in with one another this weekend. All-action lightweights land on to the two fights that make up the middle of this weekend’s main card, as Elves Brener and Esteban Ribovics face off in what should be a barnburner for as long as it lasts. A member of the Chute Boxe Diego Lima squad, Brener opened his UFC run with consecutive wins over Zubaira Tukhugov, Guram Kutateladze, and Kaynan Kruschewsky to carry a ton of momentum into his sophomore year in the Octagon last year. Unfortunately, things went sideways for the 27-year-old Brazilian, as he dropped a decision to Orolbai at UFC 301 before getting stopped by Spanish finisher Joel Álvarez in early August.