UFC on ESPN 58 results: Tatsuro Taira’s fall on his back causes Alex Perez knee injury

from Japan Tatsuro Taira kept his unbeaten record intact, but Alex Perez’s injury was an anti-climactic end to a thrilling flyweight fight.

At the UFC on ESPN 58 In the main fight of the UFC Apex, in Las Vegas, Taira (16-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) would see his hand raised after Perez (25-9 MMA, 7-5 UFC) could no longer continue due to a knee injury in a falling sequence. The official stoppage time was 2:59 of the 2nd round.

The action was fast and frequent while it lasted, with the flyweights keeping referee Herb Dean light.

Taira started the fight working behind a left jab with clean technical striking, while Perez advanced with combinations. Taira resisted his opponent’s attack, landing a few well-aimed blows to the chin, consistently retaliating immediately. The first round was intense and generated expectations about how the rest of the fight would unfold.

Perez continued his forward blitz in the second round, providing more enjoyable striking exchanges early in the frame. Taira found an entrance for the takedown and quickly scrambled to get Perez’s back, which would lead to the fight’s unfortunate ending.

Initially on the mat looking for the rear naked choke, Taira remained firmly clinging to Perez’s back as he stood up. In the center of the cage, Taira sat back as he put pressure on Perez’s legs in an attempt to get the fight back to the ground. He was successful, but Perez’s knee gave way as they fell.

Perez crashed and began to writhe in pain as the cage doctor quickly entered to assess the situation.

Taira, 24, one of flyweight’s brightest rising stars, remains undefeated and now holds a victory over a former title challenger. Although he couldn’t have predicted that an injury would be the cause of his victory, he improved to 6-0 in the UFC, a streak that includes four submissions.

Perez, 32, joined on the heels of a Performance of the Night stoppage over Matheus Nicolau in April. Unfortunately, an injury cut short what was a competitive fight against Taira.

Updated UFC on ESPN 58 results include:

• Tatsuro Taira defeated. Alex Perez via TKO (knee injury) – Round 2, 2:59

• Miles Johns defeated. Douglas Silva de Andrade by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

• Lucas Almeida defeated. Timmy Cuamba by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

• Brady Hiest and defeated. Garrett Armfield via submission (rear naked choke) – Round 3, 1:52

• Asu Almabayev defeated. Jose Johnson via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

• Adam Fugitt defeated. Josh Quinlan via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)

• Nate Maness defeated. Jimmy Flick by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

• Gabriela Fernandes won. Carli Judice via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

• Westin Wilson defeated. Jeka Saragih via submission (armbar) – Round 1, 1:49

• Melquizael Costa won. Shayilan Nuerdanbieke via submission (rear naked choke) – Round 3, 1:50

• Josefine Knutsson defeated. Julia Polastri by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

For more information on the card, visit the MMA Junkie events hub to UFC on ESPN 58.

This story originally appeared on MMA Junkie