UFC flyweight Hyun Sung Park issued his first public remarks since his submission defeat to Tatsuro Taira at UFC Vegas 108.
After saving the day at UFC Vegas 108, UFC flyweight Hyun Sung Park squared off with one of the division’s top contenders in the card’s main event. Despite getting off to a good start against the tricky Tatsuro Taira, Park was submitted in Round 2 via face-crank in his first career loss in the cage.
It was a disappointing setback for Park, as he took to the fight on days’ notice following Amir Albazi‘s withdrawal from the main event.
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Hyun Sung Park gives UFC an ultimatum after first career defeat on days’ notice
Park was supposed to face former flyweight title challenger Steve Erceg next weekend at UFC Vegas 109, before being called upon to fill for the injured Albazi. Before losing to Taira on Saturday, Park won his first 10 professional fights, including finishes against Carlos Hernandez and Shannon Ross.
Park didn’t lose a lot of stock after UFC Vegas 108, as he took the fight against Taira on days’ notice and dominated his previous competition leading up to the event. But that hasn’t stopped Park from suffering from the jaws of defeat for the first time in his MMA career.
In a recent Instagram post, Park shared his first public remarks after his days’ notice gamble fell short at UFC Vegas 108.
“Absolutely lost. It’s hard indeed. I had a lot of problems, but I think I learned a lot from them. I will grow from what I learned this time. I will not give up. I will go up. It was a learning experience,” Park posted.
“I’ll show you the best again in the next match soon. I’m not frustrated. Thank you all for your support. And no more 7 day rush offer!”
Park could potentially return to the Octagon by year’s end after his loss to Taira on Saturday. Before UFC Vegas 108, Park fought just once since Dec. 2023, after suffering through several health-related issues that postponed his promotional tenure.
Park moves to 3-1 in his UFC tenure, not including two wins in Road to UFC in 2022. 9 of Park’s 10 career victories came by stoppage.
Meanwhile, Taira moves closer to a potential flyweight title shot after UFC Vegas 108.
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Park will look to follow Taira’s example and bounce back from his first UFC loss in style. Before UFC Vegas 108, Taira lost to former title challenger Brandon Royval last October by split decision, after winning his first 16 pro fights.
Now, Taira is back in the driver’s seat and could potentially get a No. 1 contender bout booking following UFC Vegas 108. Manel Kape and Kai Kara-France are two potential opponent matches for Taira for his next UFC booking.
Taira will keep a close eye on the likely showdown between UFC flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja and Joshua Van in the next title fight in the division. Taira believes Pantoja will breeze past Van and add another successful title defense to his resume.
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