Tatsuro Taira encountered bad luck when his recent fight was canceled on weigh-in day, but he won’t face too much of a delay in competition.
Japan’s Taira (13-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) has accepted a short-notice fight against promotional newcomer Edgar Chairez (10-4 MMA, 0-0 UFC), a Mexican fighter who was originally scheduled to compete on “Dana White’s Contender Series” this summer. The two flyweights will square off in a 130-pound catchweight bout July 8 at UFC 290. The event takes place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Two people with knowledge of the matchup Tuesday informed MMA Junkie of the booking but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement. Eurosport NL first reported the bout.
Last Friday, Taira made weight for a UFC on ABC 5 bout in Jacksonville, Fla. However, his opponent, Kleydson Rodrigues, missed weight and the bout was canceled.
Now 14 days after originally expected, Taira will attempt to win his fourth UFC fight in as many tries. Taira, 23, recently told MMA Junkie he thinks he’s on track to become the youngest UFC flyweight champion in history.
Chairez, 27, was expected to face Felipe Dos Santos (7-0) on Aug. 22 on “Dana White’s Contender Series.” It would be his second appearance on the series after an unsuccessful attempt vs. Clayton Carpenter in 2022.
Instead, Chairez has his paperwork in hand. He enters the promotion on a two-fight winning streak that includes a submission victory over Gianni Vazquez internationally spotlighted due to a Texas referee blunder.
With the addition, the UFC 290 fight card includes:
- Champion Alexander Volkanovski vs. Yair Rodriguez – for featherweight title
- Champion Brandon Moreno vs. Alexandre Pantoja – for flyweight title
- Dricus Du Plessis vs. Robert Whittaker
- Dan Hooker vs. Jalin Turner
- Tresean Gore vs. Bo Nickal
- Niko Price vs. Robbie Lawler
- Sean Brady vs. Jack Della Maddalena
- Denise Gomes vs. Yazmin Jauregui
- Jesus Aguilar vs. Shannon Ross
- Vitor Petrino vs. Marcin Prachnio
- Kamuela Kirk vs. Esteban Ribovics
- Jimmy Crute vs. Alonzo Menifield
- Terrence Mitchell vs. Cameron Saaiman
- Edgar Chairez vs. Tatsuro Taira
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 290.
