Tatsuro Taira final competed 10 months in the past in a Combat of the Yr contender towards Brandon Royval in the principle occasion of UFC Vegas 98, and so much has modified in his absence within the UFC’s flyweight division.
Taira returns this Saturday within the UFC Vegas 108 headliner towards short-notice opponent Hyun Sung Park — who replaces Amir Albazi on lower than every week’s discover.
Since Taira suffered his first professional MMA loss to Royval, the division has seen the speedy rise of Joshua Van, who battled his approach to a probable title shot with 5 victories in lower than a 12 months. Watching Van’s emergence has fired up Taira to do the identical.
“[The way Van has risen up the ranks] and obtained as much as that title competition, very stunning,” Taira informed MMA Preventing. “However loads of inspiration I get from him, offers loads of vitality to me as effectively, So I’m excited to see how that combat goes [with Pantoja]”
Van defeated Royval at June’s UFC 317 occasion in probably the most thrilling fights of the 12 months, and after Pantoja stopped Kai Kara-France later within the card, the 2 confronted off to arrange a future title combat.
Taira hopes to place himself ready on Saturday towards Track the place he might await the winner of the following potential world title combat at 125 kilos.
“Clearly, expertise [will play a factor], but in addition, merely, talent set smart, I simply need to present the place I’m and the place he’s by way of the expertise and talent units,” Taira stated.
“Sure I’m able to show what sort of fighter I’m, the energy I’ve with the win. And I’ll wait to see who wins between Pantoja and Van and hopefully I get the following shot.”
If all goes in response to plan, who does Taira consider he would face in that championship bout: Pantoja or Van?
“Pantoja has confirmed so much,” Taira stated. “It’ll be a jiu-jitsu vs. boxing battle, for certain. I feel Pantoja’s jiu-jitsu will win the combat.”
