Tatsuro Taira
Active 2022–present · rated in 2 editions · peak overall 84.0
Scouting report
Former Shooto World Flyweight Champion Tatsuro Taira carried an unbeaten record into the UFC, winning his promotional debut and later defeating Alex Perez by third-round TKO in a main event. Born in Naha, Okinawa, Japan, and training out of The Blackbelt Japan, Taira is known for transitional grappling, body-triangle control, and submissions. His grappling is demonstrated by a 94 BJJ rating, 90 Cardio, and 88 Wrestling.
Peak ratings
By edition
Tatsuro Taira and the Okinawa grappler who reached a title fight
Tatsuro Taira grew up in Okinawa, tried baseball first, then followed his older brother into martial arts at The Palaestra Okinawa gym. He won the All-Japan Amateur Shooto tournament in 2017 and turned pro with ten wins in ten amateur Shooto fights. He won the Shooto flyweight title in 2021 with a first round triangle choke over Tatsuya Fukuda, then signed for the Octagon in 2022.
What sits behind each Taira rating
Boxing. 78. He is a grappler first, and his second round TKO of Carlos Hernandez in 2023 came from punches.
Kickboxing. 80. He leans on a solid base rather than fancy striking, and it holds up against the flyweight field.
Wrestling. 88. He spends a lot of fight time in top position, which is where his wrestling turns into damage.
BJJ. 94, his top rating. Finishes across his career include a triangle, an armbar, a triangle armbar, a neck crank and a guillotine.
Strength. 73, his lowest number. He does not overpower opponents, and he wins through position.
Durability. 85. He went five rounds with Joshua Van for the title in 2026 and lost by TKO in the fifth round.
Cardio. 90. He took Brandon Royval to a split decision in a main event in 2024, and that fight earned Fight of the Night.
Fight IQ. 88. He beat Alex Perez in a 2024 main event and Brandon Moreno in the second round in 2025.
The submission game at 94
BJJ is his best rating by a clear margin, and the finishing list supports it. C.J. Vergara fell to an armbar in 2022, Jesus Santos Aguilar to a triangle armbar in 2023, and Park Hyun-sung to a neck crank in 2025. A grappler with that range of submissions is a real problem once an opponent gets pinned.
Strength keeps him from finishing on the feet
Strength at 73 is the lowest rating on his card. It is the reason he tends to work for control and position instead of one-punch stoppages. His 2026 title fight with Van went five rounds before it ended, and his 2024 fight with Royval was a split decision loss. Opponents who can stay on the feet and take rounds there can make him work.
Keep exploring
Closest flyweight profiles to Tatsuro Taira, measured by how near their peak attribute ratings sit across all eight categories.
- Amir Albazibest wrestling 90 · weakest strength 75
- Joseph Benavidezbest cardio 90 · weakest strength 75
- Muhammad Mokaevbest cardio 92 · weakest strength 74
- Alexandre Pantojabest bjj 94 · weakest strength 76
- Flyweight division guide: how the whole division rates and who to draft from it.
- Grappling vs striking in the draft: a guide that fits Tatsuro Taira's strongest attribute, BJJ.
Draft Tatsuro Taira into your build
Tatsuro Taira enters the pool on any spin landing on flyweight between 2023 and present. Spin, draft eight attributes, then simulate 25 fights.
Ratings shown are my own estimates, made with AI assistance and informed by how Tatsuro Taira is regarded by the MMA community. They are unofficial and do not constitute an assessment of Tatsuro Taira's real-world abilities. How the ratings are made. See the disclaimer below. Ratings and write-ups by Haaris A. Last reviewed 2026-09-30; spot an error? Tell us. Read our editorial standards.