Rising Japanese flyweight Tatsuro Taira has passed both of his UFC tests with flying colors and now he’ll have a chance to make it three for three.
Standing in the way of Taira (12-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) will be Dana White’s Contender Series signee Jesus Santos Aguilar (8-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC). The bout is scheduled for Feb. 4 as part of a UFC Fight Night event expected to take place in Seoul, South Korea.
A person with knowledge of the booking Thursday confirmed the matchup to MMA Junkie after an initial report by ESPN, but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.
Taira, 22, made his promotional debut in May when he dominated Carlos Candelario en route to a unanimous decision. In October, he returned for his sophomore UFC outing and picked up his first finish in the promotion when he submitted C.J. Vergara with a second-round armbar. After the fight, Taira estimated he’s three wins away from a UFC title shot.
Aguilar, 26, enters his UFC debut with a head full of steam after a boss-impressing performance that earned him a UFC contract. Known for his guillotine choke, Aguilar put it on display when he used it to submit Erisson Ferreira in August.
With the addition, the UFC Fight Night event for Feb. 4 includes:
- Devin Clark vs. Da Un Jung
- Mandy Bohm vs. Ji Yeon Kim
- Adam Fugitt vs. Yusaku Kinoshita
- Jesus Santos Aguilar vs. Tatsuro Taira