Tatsuro Taira Would Only Fight Kyoji Horiguchi Under One Condition
UFC flyweight contender Tatsuro Taira has given his thoughts on a possible showdown with fellow Japanese fighter Kyoji Horiguchi.
Last weekend at UFC 323, Tatsuro Taira took a big step forward in his mixed martial arts career. He was able to defeat and even finish Brandon Moreno, and while some questioned the nature of the stoppage, the majority agreed that the result likely would have remained the same if the fight was allowed to continue.
Tatsuro Taira has really been able to burst onto the scene and now, we are at the point where he could well be the next man in line for a crack at the UFC flyweight championship. That would mean a clash with Joshua Van, the reigning chamipon, but others believe that a number one contender fight against Kyoji Horiguchi could be the right way to go.
In a recent interview, Tatsuro Taira had the following to say on the matter.
Tatsuro Taira’s view on Kyoji Horiguchi fight
“I think Kyoji is a very famous fighter in Japan and that card would be very fire if the UFC came to Japan, but personally I always feel like I want to fight a non‑Japanese fighter. If it’s a title fight, it doesn’t matter who the opponent is. Hopefully Van is next, but if someday there is a title fight against Kyoji, that would be another exciting one as well.”
“I should study English more. One day I want to be able to talk in English at the press conference, so I have to keep learning. I think it would be amazing if the UFC comes back to Japan and I fight for the belt there. If I win the belt and then fight Pantoja, and someday maybe Kyoji, that would be a great story for Japanese MMA.”
