UFC Hall of Famer Michael Bisping wants to see Tatsuro Taira in a No. 1 contender fight after UFC Vegas 108.
UFC flyweight contender Tatsuro Taira made quick work of short-notice replacement Hyun Sung Park in the UFC Vegas 108 main event on Saturday. After getting a last-second opponent switch, Taira welcomed Park back to the Octagon with a nasty face-crank submission in Round 2.
Taira bounced back from his first professional loss against Brandon Royval last October. Before falling to Royval, Taira won his first 16 professional fights, including UFC wins over Alex Perez and Carlos Hernandez.
Taira is in a unique position in the UFC flyweight title picture.
Michael Bisping pinpoints Tatsuro Taira’s best path to flyweight title shot
Despite his recent loss to Royval, Taira remains in prime position for a potential flyweight title shot with another victory in the Octagon. Matchups with the likes of top contenders Manel Kape and Kai Kara-France could make sense for Taira’s next UFC booking.
But one of the UFC’s top analysts has another big name in mind for Taira’s next fight to likely ensure a championship opportunity.
During the UFC Vegas 108 post-fight show on ESPN, Michael Bisping tabbed an intriguing option for Taira’s next fight after his dominant victory at the Apex.
“He calls for a title fight. I get that, but I was like, ‘You’ve got to have one more fight first,'” Bisping said of Taira.
“I’m not the matchmaker. I don’t make those decisions, but that seems logical. It would seem he would have to have one more fight. Who should that fight be against?
“I’ve got a choice: It is the former champion Brandon Moreno. Tell me you don’t want to see that fight? That would show you the level of Tatsuro Taira and also allow Brandon Moreno to get back in the mix – not that he’s not in the mix, of course.” (h/t MMA Junkie)
Former UFC flyweight champion Brandon Moreno remains unbooked for his next fight, as of this writing, after defeating Steve Erceg earlier this year. Moreno most recently accepted Royval’s trilogy callout for Noche UFC next month, but it remains to be seen if the fight will come to fruition.
UFC flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja is expected to face Joshua Van for his next title defense, a matchup that Taira will keep a keen eye on. Taira recently predicted that Pantoja would defeat Van in their likely upcoming fight.
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Tatsuro Taira’s next fight could be for No. 1 contender status after UFC Vegas 108
Taira was supposed to face Amir Albazi in the UFC Vegas 108 main event, before Albazi withdrew due to medical-related reasons. The UFC matchmakers could potentially attempt to rebook the Taira vs. Albazi fight after UFC Vegas 108, as it sounds like Albazi’s time on the sidelines will be short-lived.
Meanwhile, Moreno is looking to earn another shot at Pantoja after two prior losses to the flyweight titleholder earlier in their careers. Moreno lost the belt to Pantoja at UFC 290 by unanimous decision.
Taira is right back in the flyweight title mix after UFC Vegas 108. He’s one of the few contenders who hasn’t faced Pantoja or Van previously, making a potential title shot closer than you’d probably expect.