Tatsuro Taira kept his perfect record in tact and scored his first Octagon knockout earlier tonight (Sat., Nov. 18, 2023) at UFC Vegas 83 live on ESPN+ from inside UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada, when the undefeated Japanese flyweight ended Carlos Hernandez with heavy ground-and-pound in the second round.
Hernandez probably had better boxing coming into this “Prelims” affair, but Taira’s ground game and grappling was on another level. He was able to gain control early in the first and threatened with multiple submissions. Hernandez was able to survive, but he needed to keep the fight standing.
Unfortunately, Taira’s striking came into play in the second round as he caught Hernandez with a heavy combination that dropped him to the canvas. Taira jumped on top for hard punches which eventually prompted the referee to step in for the stoppage.
Check out the video highlights above.
Taira, who is just 23, is now 15-0 overall and 5-0 since making his UFC debut back in May 2022. He’s easily one of the brightest young prospects in the sport today, but it will be interesting to see how fast the promotions tries to push him up the flyweight rankings. Taira called out fellow contender Muhammad Mokaev after this win so we’ll see what happens in early 2024.
For complete UFC Vegas 83 results, coverage, and highlights click HERE.