He’s carried that same success into the UFC, where he’s dispatched his first two challengers with relative ease. In his official UFC debut, Park stopped Shannon Ross via strikes in the second round. He followed that up with an even better performance last time out in May, when he submitted Carlos Hernandez in less than half a round.
As flawless as his UFC run has been thus far, Park’s level of experience inside the Octagon doesn’t quite compare to that of Taira, who’s earned six victories over the last three years and will be competing in his third consecutive main event.
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Taira began his UFC career in 2022, fresh off three straight first-round submission wins on the regional scene in Japan. After getting his feet wet in the Octagon with a 15-minute affair against Carlos Candelario, Taira showcased that finishing instinct with back-to-back armbar submissions of CJ Vergara and Jesus Aguilar—both impressive names to have on your résumé just three fights in.
Taira continued to dominate with a decision win over Edgar Chairez, followed by consecutive second-round TKOs of Carlos Hernandez and Alex Perez. After a 6-0 start to his UFC career, his first setback came at the hands of former title challenger Brandon Royval in a 25-minute main event battle last October. Taira fell just short, dropping a split decision to the No. 3 ranked contender, but the fight earned him a $50,000 Fight of the Night bonus and valuable experience against one of the division’s very best.