5 Things You Might Not Know About Tatsuro Taira

Tatsuro Taira might soon be a household name.

The 23-year-old Naha, Japan, native enters his 2024 campaign poised for a breakthrough as one of the more intriguing talents in the Ultimate Fighting Championship flyweight division. Taira improved to 5-0 inside the Octagon and 15-0 overall in his most recent assignment, as he buried Carlos Hernandez with punches in the second round of their UFC Fight Night 233 pairing on Dec. 9. He has secured 11 of his 14 victories by knockout, technical knockout or submission.

As Taira awaits word on his next step from UFC matchmakers, here are five things you might not know about him:

1. Wise choices paid lasting dividends.

Taira started his formal mixed martial arts training under Ryoto Matsune, a man who once held the Shooto featherweight championship for more than two years. Matsune finished his career with a 16-2-1 record, having lost only to Rumina Sato and Kentaro Imaizumi.

2. He spread his wings in a hurry.

The Paraestra Okinawa thoroughbred made his professional debut at the age of 18 when he disposed of Yo Otake with a triangle choke in the first round of their encounter under the Shooto banner on Aug. 3, 2018. Taira went on to win all six of his bouts as a teenager.

3. Adaptation appears to be a strength.

While Taira has shown he possesses the necessary to tools to go the distance—he owns a 4-0 record in fights that reach the judges—at a high level, he boasts eight first-round finishes among his 14 victories. He made waves in 2021, when he needed just 61 seconds to put former Deep and Pancrase champion Yoshiro Maeda to sleep with a rear-naked choke.

4. A championship pedigree bolsters his case.

Taira laid claim to the Shooto bantamweight crown on July 4, 2021, as he took care of Ryuya Fukuda with a first-round triangle choke. He went on to compete once in the Vale Tudo Japan promotion and then vacated the title after he signed a multi-fight contract with the UFC in 2022.

5. Reliability has become a calling card.

The 5-foot-7, 125-pound Japanese prospect has competed at least twice every year since he turned pro. Taira fought three times in 2023, tying his career-high for appearances in a calendar year. In addition to his aforementioned victory over Hernandez, he put away Jesus Santos Aguilar with a triangle armbar in the first round of their UFC Fight Night 218 pairing on Feb. 4 and captured a three-round unanimous decision over Edgar Chairez at UFC 290 on July 8.