Jun Yong Park vs. Brad Tavares Prediction, Picks, Time: UFC Vegas 98

Jun Yong Park and Brad Tavares meet on the main card of UFC Fight Night 244 on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom.

Last event: 3-2
UFC main cards, 2024: 84-74-3

Preview of UFC Fight Night 244 between Jun Yong Park and Brad Tavares

Park (17-6 MMA, 7-3 UFC) will step into the octagon for the first time in 2024. He will look to bounce back from a heartbreaking split decision loss to Andre Muniz in December that snapped a four-fight win streak that included three rear-naked choke submission victories. … Tavares (20-9 MMA, 15-9 UFC) will also look to bounce back from a loss in his previous fight. In February, Gregory Rodrigues stopped Tavares in the third round. Before the setback, Tavares won a unanimous decision against former UFC champion Chris Weidman.

Jun Yong Park vs. Brad Tavares UFC Fight Night 244 Expert Pick, Prediction

The co-main event at Apex features a rebooked attraction for £185 between Park and Tavares.

Despite my usual bias against Tavares and his camp, this is a fight between two fighters that I really enjoy watching.

It's hard not to be a fan of Park, and I can understand why The Iron Turtle is favored to win on the betting lines. Still, I suspect that Tavares quietly represents a tough stylistic test for the Korean.

Not only will Park's outstanding takedown defense from his Hawaiian counterpart negate the crucial core of his game, but Tavares will also be one of the few fighters who can jab with him (something Park does on the few occasions he does he was confronted with this in his UFC). Career).

Add to that the calf kicks, which I think are key to Park's stance, and I can't help but side with Tavares to prevent a contest on the scorecards.

Either way, I hope Tavares finally gets more respect for a fighter who was able to stay afloat in this organization for so long.

Jun Yong Park vs Brad Tavares UFC Fight Night 244 odds

The oddsmakers and the public favor the Korean fighter, calling Park -188 and Tavares +152 via FanDuel.

Jun Yong Park vs. Brad Tavares UFC Fight Night 244 start time, how to watch

Park and Tavares are expected to head to the cage around 9:05 p.m. ET (6:05 p.m. PT). The fight will be streamed on ESPN+.