Tatsuro Taira’s Win Comes Under Allegations as Fans Call Out ‘Dishonourable’ Move That Injured Alex Perez at UFC Vegas 93

Japanese star Tatsuro Taira’s run through the UFC flyweight division is showing no signs of slowing down! At UFC Vegas 93, Taira took on the no.5 ranked Alex Perez to keep his undefeated streak going and continue his climb to the top of the division. The veteran, Perez, had stated in an interview with Sports Now ahead of the fight, “I’m gonna go out there be a bully and do my thing.”

The fight was a closely contested affair for the first round, with Perez trying to close the distance to land his combinations while Taira stayed at a distance and threw straight shots at his opponent. The Japanese fighter also grabbed Perez in a Muay Thai clinch when he got close and threw knees up the middle. Taira was also warned about eye-pokes twice in the fight by referee, Herb Dean.

However, in the second round, Perez was unable to defend a takedown from Taira who quickly transitioned to his back and locked in a body triangle. While Perez did get to his feet, Taira was still on his back and pulled out a unique maneuver as he laced his legs behind Perez’s knee and leaned back to force his opponent to the ground. But as Perez fell back and Taira tried to roll over for a submission, the flyweight veteran tapped out, forcing the referee to call a stop to the contest. Writhing in pain on the canvas, the doctor was called in to examine Perez as Taira was declared the winner via a TKO at the UFC Vegas 93 main event.

As such, the finishing sequence has drawn mixed reactions from the fandom who took to social media to share their thoughts on the victory by the Japanese star. Here’s a look at what the community had to say: 

Fans claim Tatsuro Taira’s victory at UFC Vegas 93 “not honorable” as Japanese star remains undefeated

One fan pointed out that the injury wasn’t a “freak accident” as it was a demonstration of Taira’s remarkable grappling prowess.

Another fan echoed the same sentiment as they also agreed that Perez’s injury was a direct result of getting forced to the ground by Taira’s unique technique from his opponent’s back.

However, not all fans were in agreement as some came out to blast Tatsuro Taira with unfiltered responses to his victory at UFC Vegas 93.

Some fans wanted to know why the finish was declared a TKO and not a submission, however, the UFC generally declares a TKO via injury when a grappling exchange leads to a fighter getting hurt and unable to continue as evidenced with Brian Ortega’s loss to Yair Rodriguez from UFC on ABC 3 in 2022. Ortega dislocated his shoulder in a scramble and as such, Rodriguez was declared the winner via TKO.

Some members of the community were impressed with the move however they claimed to not be “fans” of it as it appears to be a dangerous maneuver with dire consequences for the person on the receiving end of it.

Former UFC bantamweight champion, Aljamain Sterling, an impressive grappler in his own right, also chimed in, as he too was left stunned by the move used by Taira and ‘The Funkmaster’ implored other “expert grapplers” online to share their thoughts on it as well.

Other members of the MMA fandom proclaimed that with this performance, Taira deserves a shot at the top of the flyweight division.

In conclusion, while Tatsuro Taira has now extended his win streak inside the UFC to 6-0, the manner of his win at UFC Vegas 93 has led to multiple different opinions from the fans online. While some, including UFC’s Aljamain Sterling, were impressed with his grappling prowess, others weren’t pleased as they called the move ‘dishonorable’ for injuring Alex Perez.

Nevertheless, one thing is for certain, Tatsuro Taira is a problem for the flyweight division and with another win under his belt and the post-fight callout of champion, Alexandre Pantoja, it remains to be seen what is next for the Japanese star!