Tatsuro Taira Returns with Dominance at UFC Fight Night
UFC flyweight contender Tatsuro Taira responded to his first professional setback in emphatic fashion on Saturday, dominating South Korean HyunSung Park at UFC Fight Night.
Taira (17-1) submitted Park (10-1) via a face crank in the second round, just 1:06 into the fight. This was Taira’s first appearance after suffering the first loss of his career in October, a split decision loss to Brandon Royval. The 25-year-old Japanese phenomenon showed his best version on Saturday, achieving his fifth finish since 2022, the best mark in the division.
The matchup at 125 pounds was finalized with little notice. Originally, Taira was scheduled to face Amir Albazi at the UFC Apex, but Albazi (17-2) was forced to withdraw last week due to undisclosed medical reasons. The UFC turned to Park, who was slated to fight former title contender Steve Erceg the following week in Las Vegas.
The new combination turned out to be a complete imbalance. Taira knocked Park down with a straight right in the first minute and immediately took his back on the ground. Park showed good composure in recovering from the blow and avoiding Taira’s submission attempts, but could not find a way to separate from Taira and get back on his feet.
Taira wasted no time in attacking Park’s hips in the second round and again took him down to the ground in the first minute. This time, Park couldn’t resist Taira’s grappling superiority and quickly submitted to the face crank. Taira has finished eight of his 17 professional victories by submission and another five by knockout.
The victory improves Taira’s UFC record to 7-1. Before Saturday, he was ranked number 6 in the UFC flyweight rankings. Had he fought Albazi, he would have had the opportunity to face the division’s number 4 contender.
Park, who signed with the company in 2023, was not ranked before the weekend.
