In a 3-round flyweight bout on the main card, Brandon Moreno and Tatsuro Taira meet Saturday at UFC 323 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The early prelims begin at 6 p.m. ET (ESPN+, Disney+, FX), followed by the prelims at 8 p.m. ET (ESPN2, ESPN+, Disney+, FX), and the main card at 10 p.m. ET on pay-per-view. Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s UFC odds around the UFC 323: Moreno vs. Taira odds, and make our expert UFC picks and predictions.
Records: Moreno (23-8-2) | Taira (17-1-0)
The former champ Moreno is trying to get back into position for a title shot. He held the belt heading into UFC 290 in July 2023, but he lost via split decision to Alexandre Pantoja, who is defending his belt on this same card.
Since that loss to Pantoja, he lost via split decision to Brandon Royval in a rematch fight in February 2024. He rebounded with a unanimous-decision win over Amir Albazi, and he won via unanimous decision against Steve Erceg last time out.
For Taira, he lost via split decision to Royval in a main event at a Fight Night, then rebounded with a win over HyunSung Park in a main event in August. Since making his UFC debut, Taira is 6-1, with 2 decision wins and 1 split-decision loss. He also has 2 KO/TKO victories and 2 submission wins.
The 31-year-old Moreno averages 3.96 significant strikes landed per minute, compared to just 2.87 for Taira. The Japanese fighter is far more accurate, landing 67.41% of his strikes versus 49.52% for Moreno. Taira also holds a 3.21-to-1.51 takedown advantage, with a 48.72% success rate compared to 44.29% for Moreno. He maintains a 1.69-to-0.39 submission average as well.
Watch UFC on Fubo!
UFC 323: Moreno vs. Taira odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 12:59 p.m. ET.
- Fight result (2-way line): Moreno +105 (bet $100 to win $105) | Taira -125 (bet $125 to win $100)
- Will the fight go the distance? (Yes -275 | No +195)
UFC 323: Moreno vs. Taira picks and predictions
TAIRA (-125) is the slight favorite, and the younger fighter is worth backing, as he checks off all of the boxes.
Moreno has been a champ, and he is a tremendous veteran fighter. But, he can flail a little with his strikes, while Taira is more calculated and effective landing them with efficiency.
If this fight isn’t a toe-to-toe brawl and turns into a ground match, Taira’s skills on the canvas will serve him well.
There is not an Over/Under for rounds available, as this fight is expected to go the distance. In fact, Yes (-275): Will fight go the distance? will cost you nearly 3 times your return.
TAIRA BY DECISION/TECHNICAL DECISION (+150) at plus money is a strong play if you want to combine the method with the winner declaration.
Visit MMA Junkie for more fight news and analysis.
For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.
Follow Daniel Dobish on Twitter/X. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter/X and like us on Facebook.
