Tatsuro Taira carries the weight of a nation on his shoulders this weekend when he steps into the Octagon at the UFC Apex. Japan’s latest MMA prodigy competes in his second consecutive main event as he takes on former title challenger Brandon Royval in a No. 1 contender fight at 125 lbs.
The unbeaten Taira (16-0, 6-0 UFC) seems to be benefitting from the UFC’s recent policy of leapfrogging their exciting prospects into the upper echelons of the rankings at the first available opportunity, following his victory over another former title challenger, Alex Perez, in his previous outing in June.