LAS VEGAS – Tatsuro Taira left UFC 323 with a huge win but also some criticism.
The Japanese contender picked up a TKO stoppage victory over former champion Brandon Moreno on Saturday at UFC 323 from T-Mobile Arena. After surviving a tricky first round, Taira (18-1 MMA, 8-1 UFC) took the back of Moreno (23-9-2 MMA, 11-5-2 UFC) and ground-and-pounded his way to a win. Immediately after referee Mark Smith waved off the fight, Moreno postured up and complained about the call. Many fans online, including the UFC commentators, backed Moreno, claiming a premature stoppage.
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Taira believes the right call was made and feels confident that he was bound to get the win regardless.
“For me, when the second round started and even before the ground-and-pound, I even felt his power was definitely low, so I wasn’t surprised at all that he would be knocked out in that way,” Taira said at the UFC 323 post-fight press conference through an interpreter.
With a win over Moreno, which is the biggest of his career, Taira wants to get a shot at the UFC flyweight belt. That means he’ll have to face Joshua Van, who won the title in the co-main event after champion Alexandre Pantoja sustained an arm injury 26 seconds into the fight.
“Seeing Joshua Van through this fight week, I always felt he might do it,” Taira said. “I felt he might have something that might make something happen, so I wasn’t surprised in that sense. He’s the first Asian male champion, so why not celebrate? Congratulations.”
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC 323: Tatsuro Taira dismisses criticism of stoppage in TKO win
