Athletes
Tatsuro Taira Meets The Future Head-On
Undefeated Japanese Flyweight Reflects On A Stellar Rookie Campaign And What Lies Ahead
Two UFC fights, two wins, one finish and one Performance of the Night bonus. It was quite a rookie year for Tatsuro Taira in the Octagon.
“I'm very happy with last year,” Taira said. “I left Japan to test myself overseas, and it was a year of big challenges. I worked hard to overcome my challenges, and had a lot of very good experiences.”
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Those wins were expected from the highly-touted Okinawa native, one of the top Japanese prospects to emerge in recent years, and as 2023 dawns, a lot more eyes on him, both here and at home.
Tatsuro Taira Stays Undefeated With Second Round Armbar | UFC Fight Night: Grasso vs Araújo
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Tatsuro Taira Stays Undefeated With Second Round Armbar | UFC Fight Night: Grasso vs Araújo
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“It's been amazing,” he said. “I have so many supporters back home, and it warms my heart. I'm excited to put on another show for them.”
The next show time for the 23-year-old is this Saturday, when he faces Dana White’s Contender Series graduate Jesus Aguilar at a familiar - albeit fairly quiet - location: Las Vegas’ UFC APEX.
“I like the atmosphere of the UFC APEX because it's like a theatre, and I can just relax and fight,” said Taira. “That being said, I do want to fight in larger arenas in the future so I can entertain more fans in person. I'm sure many Japanese people would buy a ticket.”
That’s a guarantee, as Taira has the potential to usher in a new chapter for Japanese MMA in the UFC, and while that’s a lot to place on any young fighter’s shoulders, he seems equipped to handle it, just as he’s shown grace under the pressure of keeping his perfect pro record.
“There is no pressure, but I really do like having that ‘0’ on my record,” he laughs. “I'll be very happy if I can keep my undefeated record intact against tougher and tougher competition - that is my goal.”
Aguilar is the next step in a UFC career that saw Taira decision Carlos Candelario in his May debut and then submit CJ Vergara in October, earning a Performance of the Night bonus in the process. So, tell us, Tatsuro, did you buy anything interesting with your first UFC bonus?
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“I wanted to buy a cool bike, but I haven't gotten around to it yet,” he said. “Maybe after this fight I'll have a bit of time.”
Taira laughs, but time off probably won’t be on the immediate agenda if he keeps winning, especially in a flyweight division that is now wide open after Brandon Moreno has settled his score with Deiveson Figueiredo.
“From now on, new waves of talent will come from more fighters, which is very exciting,” he said. “One of those fighters will be me, I want to prove that I'm one of the best.”
That’s the confidence that only comes with being young, talented, and ambitious. But Taira is in no hurry.
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“It's impossible to say what the future will hold,” he said. “I believe I will one day hold the belt, but I'm in no major rush. Things will happen how they are supposed to happen; I'm just enjoying every moment of the ride.”
So is his hero - his grandfather - who knew all this success was coming.
“He's very proud,” said Taira. “He told me before that I could do it, and he reminded me that he was correct (laughs).”
UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs Spivac took place live from the UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada on February 4, 2023. See the Final Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC Fight Pass!
