Tatsuro Taira once again showed why he’s arguably the most intriguing flyweight prospect in MMA by extending his unbeaten record at UFC Fight Night 233.
Japan’s Taira (15-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC) displayed his superior ground game once again Saturday when he overwhelmed Carlos Hernandez (8-3 MMA, 1-2 UFC) on the mat before going to the hands to finish the job by second-round TKO at the UFC Apex.
Hernandez survived a swarm from Taira’s grappling in Round 1, which opened up a huge right hand on the feet followed by ground-and-pound to finish the job at the 0:55 mark of Round 2.
Check out the replay of the finish below (via X):
Heavy hands from Tatsuro Taira 💥 #UFCVegas83 pic.twitter.com/SzQoBMx3DC
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) December 10, 2023
After recording his fifth straight win to begin his UFC tenure, including four in a row at flyweight, Taira called for a step up at 125 pounds against Muhammad Mokaev, who is currently scheduled to face Alex Perez at UFC Saudi Arabia on March 2.
“I was trying to show some jiu-jitsu skills, but whatever, I’m happy (with the TKO,” Taira told Paul Felder through an interpreter during his post-fight interview. “Where’s Mokaev?”
How is @TatsuroTaira feeling after extending his win streak to five? 😄#UFCVegas83 pic.twitter.com/QKzVDqoGnL
— UFC (@ufc) December 10, 2023
Up-to-the-minute UFC Fight Night 233 results include:
- Tatsuro Taira def. Carlos Hernandez via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 0:55
- Talita Alencar def. Rayanne Amanda via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 233.
