Las Vegas, NV — Japanese flyweight prospect Tatsuro Taira maintained his perfect record at UFC Vegas 62 on Saturday, submitting an oversized C.J. Vergara, who blew weight by three pounds for the fight.
Taira now sits at 12-0 as a professional, and the Vergara win, via arm-bar, gave him his first submission inside the octagon. Not to mention his first finish. At just 22-years-old, the sky is the limit for what many consider to be Japan’s best UFC title hopeful in years.
Following the fight, Taira told media outlets including Cageside Press that the win took some of the pressure off him.
“I’m relieved, because I’m one of the ones, I’m really challenging [for] the title belt. So I just can’t lose,” he stated. “So I’m relieved from some pressure.”
Later, he would add that despite those title aspirations, “I’m not in no rush for getting the title belt,” instead suggesting that “at least I want to have three fights” before fighting for gold.
Securing the finish had Taira upbeat. “One thing that’s good and I’m really glad [about] is I could really show that aggressive attitude all the time.”
With the UFC rumored to be returning to South Korea in 2023, there’s a chance Taira could join that card, with Japan not all that far away compared to the U.S.
“Yes, I want to go to Korea,” said Taira. “I want to have multiple fights, because I’m 22, and [since] I came to the states, I really feel that I’m improving a lot.”
Watch the full UFC Vegas 62 post-fight press conference appearance by Tatsuro Taira above.
