After a trip to the Midwest, the UFC is back on its home turf this week with a pair of flyweights at the top of the lineup.
Here’s how to watch UFC on ESPN 58 with 125-pounders in the headlining spot, plus featherweights in the co-feature.
Broadcast and streaming info
UFC on ESPN 58 has a main card that starts at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2. The preliminary card airs on ESPN2 and streams on ESPN+ at 4 p.m. ET.
Stay tuned to MMA Junkie for further broadcast details this week.
Main event: Alex Perez
Record: 25-8 MMA, 7-4 UFC
Opponent: Tatsuro Taira (15-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC)
Division: Flyweight
Key wins: Mark De La Rosa, Jordan Espinosa, Jussier Formiga, Matheus Nicolau
Misc.: In the past five years, Perez has had more than a dozen fights booked and scrapped for various reasons – his side, the opponent’s side, COVID … He lost a title shot to then-champ Deiveson Figueiredo in late 2020, and that set off a three-fight skid. But he got back on track in April with a bonus-winning upset of Matheus Nicolau in a headliner, and now he’ll go for two straight.
Main event: Tatsuro Taira
Record: 15-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC
Opponent: Alex Perez (25-8 MMA, 7-4 UFC)
Division: Flyweight
Key wins: Carlos Candelario, CJ Vergara, Jesus AGuilar, Edgar Chairez, Carlos Hernandez
Misc.: Taira has three of his five UFC wins by stoppage, and a couple of them were worth an extra $50,000. After some cancellations and new bookings, he now has a shot at arguably his biggest win yet against a former title challenger.
Co-main event: Ikram Aliskerov
Record: 15-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC
Opponent: Antonio Trocoli (12-3 MMA, 0-0 UFC)
Division: Middleweight
Key wins: Denis Tiullulin, Phil Hawes, Warlley Alves
Misc.: Aliskerov won his shot at the UFC with a first-round submission of Mario Sousa on DWCS in 2022. His promotional debut against Phil Hawes was a first-round knockout, as was his follow-up against Warlley Alves at UFC 294 – and that one was good for an extra $50,000. The only loss of his career came to the highly touted and unbeaten Khamzat Chimaev.
UFC debut/co-main event: Antonio Trocoli
Record: 12-3 MMA, 0-0 UFC
Opponent: Ikram Aliskerov (15-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC)
Division: Middleweight
Misc.: Trocoli is stepping in for Andre Muniz, who pulled out of the fight, and he goes right to the co-main event slot for his UFC debut. Trocoli’s path to the UFC has been odd. He won on DWCS in 2019, but had it overturned for a failed drug test. He didn’t fight again until 2021, but pulled out of a 2022 UFC debut against Ovince St. Preux, and pulled out last month against Oumar Sy. He’s a huge underdog around +600.
UFC debut: Julia Polastri
Record: 12-3
Opponent: Josefine Knutsson (7-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC)
Division: Women’s strawweight
Misc.: The 26-year-old Brazilian lost her first shot on DWCS in 2021, but went on a 3-0 run to get another shot. This past September, she choked out Patricia Alujas to win a contract. She was supposed to debut in March, but had two different fights canceled. Now she makes her long-awaited UFC debut.
UFC on ESPN 58 main card betting odds
MAIN CARD (ESPN2, 7 p.m. ET)
- Alex Perez (+150) vs. Tatsuro Taira (-180)
- Ikram Aliskerov (-900) vs. Antonio Trocoli (+600)
- Lucas Almeida (+150) vs. Timmy Cuamba (-180)
- Miles Johns (-105) vs. Douglas Silva de Andrade (-115)
- Asu Almabayev (-450) vs. Jose Johnson (+325)
- Adam Fugitt (-105) vs. Josh Quinlan (-115)
UFC on ESPN 58 prelim betting odds
PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN2ESPN+, 4 p.m. ET)
- Tagir Ulanbekov (-240) vs. Joshua Van (+195)
- Jimmy Flick (+315) vs. Nate Maness (-425)
- Garrett Armfield (-175) vs. Brady Hiestand (+145)
- Gabriella Fernandes (-235) vs. Carli Judice (+190)
- Jeka Saragih (-340) vs. Westin Wilson (+260)
- Josefine Knutsson (-225) vs. Julia Polastri (+185)
- Melquizael Costa (-175) vs. Shayilan Nuerdanbieke (+145)
