Tatsuro Taira

Tatsuro Taira, known by the nickname "The Best," is a Japanese mixed martial artist who competes in the UFC flyweight division.

Born and raised in Naha, Okinawa, Taira had no formal martial arts background as a child and largely grew up around baseball. He was introduced to combat sports after following his older brother, a kickboxer, to a local gym as a teenager. That visit led him to Blackbelt Japan (formerly Paraestra Okinawa), where he began training under coach Ryota Matsune and quickly built a grappling-heavy foundation that would define his career.

Taira compiled an unbeaten amateur run in Shooto, capturing both the Kyushu and All-Japan amateur championships before turning professional. As a pro, he continued that dominance, submitting Ryuya Fukuda by triangle choke to win the Shooto flyweight championship and establishing himself as one of Japan's top prospects. He has also been credited with earning a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, reflecting the technical grappling pedigree that underpins his game.

Inside the cage, Taira is regarded as a heavy grappling and submission specialist. He is comfortable closing distance, chaining takedowns, and working through top position toward finishes such as the armbar and triangle, while also carrying enough striking, including a sharp middle kick, to keep opponents honest everywhere the fight goes. His patience, ring generalship, and ability to methodically break opponents down have made him one of the flyweight division's most technically complete grapplers.

Since debuting in the UFC in 2022, Taira has built a resume that includes a second-round finish of former title challenger Alex Perez in his first main event, a hard-fought decision bout with former title challenger Brandon Royval, and a stoppage of former champion Brandon Moreno that made him the first fighter to finish "The Assassin Baby." He also headlined a card against rising contender HyunSung Park.

Representing Okinawa and Japan on the world stage, Taira has become a standard-bearer for a new generation of Japanese mixed martial artists, carrying the ambitions of his home country as he continues to climb the flyweight ranks.