The Morning After: Why Is Tatsuro Taira Being Hidden?

Here’s what you may have missed!

If Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) had any motive in stashing undefeated flyweight contender Tatsuro Taira on undercard “Prelims” for his entire career then it may be time to move on.

Taira, who is one of the most promising young fighters in the promotion today, was 4-0 inside of the Octagon entering his matchup with Carlos Hernandez last night (Sat., Nov. 18, 2023) at UFC Vegas 83 live on ESPN+ from inside UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada. The matchup itself didn’t make much sense considering Hernandez was just 1-1 in 2023 and not someone who was going to boost Taira’s overall namesake.

What made Taira’s matchmaking even more head-scratching is the fact that his bout with Hernandez was buried on the “Prelims” undercard. This wasn’t some bulked up pay-per-view (PPV) event and the organization wanted to promote Taira on a big ESPN “Prelims” card. This was a Fight Night affair with very little star power and a perfect opportunity to showcase a young flyweight contender like Taira.

Unfortunately, UFC dropped the ball again. It was the fourth time out of five Octagon appearances in which the promotion slotted Taira on the early “Prelims” undercard. The only time Taira has been featured on a main “Prelims” card was at UFC 290 this past July. Taira ended up winning that fight and looked to be on the rise again, but the promotion turned around and buried him on UFC Vegas 83’s underbelly. Taira, of course, took full advantage and dominated Hernandez en route to second-round TKO finish (watch HERE).

Why is Taira being buried, you ask?

Who knows. UFC implements very strange matchmaking sometimes, but this one is a mystery. Taira is 23 years old and one of the hottest prospects in the division. He’s competing in a weight class that is always looking for fresh faces to push towards title contention. He hails from Japan, which is a large combat market that UFC would love to further tap into. Add in his 73-percent finish rate and Taira seems like an absolute slam dunk.

We’ll have to wait and see if UFC decides to untether Taira in 2024 or if they continue to hold him back from bigger and better opportunities. The Japanese fighter did call out fellow flyweight contender Muhammad Mokaev after his UFC Vegas 83 win, but UFC may have other plans in store.

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For complete UFC Vegas 83 results, coverage, and highlights click HERE.