UFC flyweight contender Tatsuro Taira completed a nine-week training camp in Denver, Colorado, training alongside Justin Gaethje and Cory Sandhagen. Sandhagen praised Taira as a key figure who could help bring the UFC back to Japan. Gaethje expressed strong confidence in the Japanese fighter, stating he would bet heavily on Taira to defeat the current flyweight champion, citing Taira's dominant victory over Brandon Moreno. The comments came from UFC Embedded footage. Taira's training with top-level UFC fighters signals his preparation for a potential title shot.
Japanese flyweight contender Tatsuro Taira has wrapped up a nine-week training camp in Denver, Colorado, sharing the mats with UFC veterans Justin Gaethje and Cory Sandhagen in what appears to be a significant preparatory block ahead of a potential title shot.
Taira, 26, carries an 18-2 record and is currently ranked fifth in the UFC flyweight division. The Blackbelt Japan product stands five-foot-seven with a 70-inch reach and brings a well-rounded game to the table — averaging 3.12 takedowns per 15 minutes and 1.6 submission attempts per 15 minutes, while also posting a striking accuracy of 60 percent, one of the sharper figures in the division.
Sandhagen, the third-ranked UFC bantamweight out of Elevation Fight Team, praised Taira during UFC Embedded footage and suggested the young Japanese fighter could be a key figure in bringing the UFC back to Japan. Sandhagen himself is one of the more active strikers in the 135-pound division, averaging 4.86 significant strikes per minute across his 18-6 career.
Gaethje went further, stating in the same footage that he would bet heavily on Taira to defeat the current flyweight champion, pointing specifically to Taira's dominant victory over former champion Brandon Moreno as his reasoning. Moreno, now 23-10-2 and ranked second at flyweight, had been considered a measuring stick for contenders at 125 pounds.
Why it matters
- A nine-week camp alongside established UFC names signals Taira is being prepared for the highest level of competition
- Gaethje's public endorsement, citing the Moreno win, adds credibility to Taira's case for a flyweight title shot
- Sandhagen's comments about Japan tie Taira's rise to a potential high-profile event in his home country
- At just 26 years old with an 18-2 record, Taira's ceiling in the flyweight division remains a major talking point
