Last fight
Win
Van vs Taira
May. 9, 2026
UFC Spotlight
Stats & Records
6
Wins by Knockout
8
Wins by Submission
8
First Round Finishes
Significant Strikes include all strikes at distance, plus power strikes in the clinch and on the ground.
Striking accuracy
- Sig. Strikes Landed
- 337
- Sig. Strikes Attempted
- 620
A takedown is awarded when a fighter deliberately grapples an opponent to the ground and establishes an advantageous position for an appreciable amount of time.
Takedown Accuracy
- Takedowns Landed
- 1
- Takedowns Attempted
- 64
- Sig. Str. Defense is the percentage of significant strikes attempted against a fighter that do not land.
- Takedown defense is the percentage of takedowns attempted against a fighter that do not land.
- Knockdown Avg. is the average number of knockdowns per 15 Minutes window.
Sig. Str. by target
athlete record
Info
Status
Active
Place of Birth
Japan
Age
26
Height
67.00
Weight
126.00
Octagon Debut
Apr. 30, 2022
Reach
70.00
Leg reach
38.00
- Pro since 2018
- Three UFC main events (vs Park, Royval & Perez)
- Six wins by KO, eight by submission (2 RNC, 2 triangle, guillotine, armbar, triangle armbar)
- Eight first-round finishes, six second-round finishes
- Holds 61 second submission win over WEC veteran Yoshiro Maeda in March 2021
- One of three active Japanese flyweights in the UFC (Kyoji Horiguchi, Rei Tsuruya)
UFC 328 (5/9/26) Taira was stopped by Joshua Van via strikes at 1:32 of the fifth round in a fight for the UFC flyweight title
UFC 323 (12/6/25) Taira stopped Brandon Moreno via strikes at 2:24 of the second round
UFC Fight Night (8/2/25) Taira submitted Hyun Sung Park via face crank at 1:06 of the second round
UFC Fight Night (10/12/24) Taira lost a five round split decision to Brandon Royval
UFC on ESPN (6/15/24) Taira defeated Alex Perez via TKO (injury) at 2:59 of the second round
UFC Fight Night (12/9/23) Taira stopped Carlos Hernandez via strikes at :55 of the second round
UFC 290 (7/8/23) Taira won a three round unanimous decision over Edgar Chairez
UFC Fight Night (2/4/23) Taira submitted Jesus Aguilar via triangle armbar at 4:20 of the first round
UFC Fight Night (10/15/22) Taira submitted CJ Vergara via armbar at 4:19 of the second round
UFC on ESPN (5/14/22) Taira won a three round unanimous decision over Carlos Candelario
When and why did you start training for fighting? At age 15, I went to an MMA gym because my older brother was training.
What ranks and titles have you held? Shooto Flyweight Championship
Who is your favorite fighter and why? Max Holloway. I love his mentality. His fights are exciting, and really I admire how he builds his mentality leading up to the fight.
Do you have any heroes? My grandfather. He has a big heart and is gentle like Okinawa's ocean.
What does it mean for you to fight in the UFC? To me, the UFC is like a big mountain. I want to climb a big mountain to the top and see the scenery from the top of the mountain. UFC is that big mountain to me.
What fight do you consider to be the key fight in your career and why? Against Brandon Royval, my first loss. It was also my first full five-round fight. It was very tough and I was able to feel the level of top fighters. That frustration made me stronger.
Is there a cause you want to use your platform for? I really want to help make UFC big in Japan. UFC is the world’s top MMA organization. I want to raise its profile to the level of soccer and baseball, the most popular sports in Japan. I want everyone to see that the Japanese are fighting on the world’s biggest stage.
Beyond a championship or money, what motivates you? I’ve always fought under the motto “From Okinawa to the World.” Reach the top of the world from the small island of Okinawa. I want to bring the belt back to Okinawa.
Did you go to college and if so what degree did you earn? I started college, but I quit to become a pro fighter.
What was your job before you started fighting? College student and part-time delivery driver.
Specific accomplishments in amateur competition? I have a 10-0 record in Shooto amateur competition.
Favorite grappling technique: Armbar
Favorite Striking technique: Middle kick
Tell us about your life outside of fighting: I like watching anime. It helps me relax. Also, our family’s newly welcomed dog! So adorable, it’s like having a baby, I feel it’s brought more joy to our family.
What is one thing you want UFC fans around the world to know about you? That even someone like myself, who had no martial arts background and did not make it in baseball, can become a UFC champion. I want to encourage those new to martial arts. I had no background so I was able to mix everything and find my style.
