Tatsuro Taira has released his first statement on social media after suffering the first loss of his career in Saturday's UFC Fight Night main event.
After winning his first six outings on mixed martial arts' biggest stage, Taira had the opportunity to impress opposite the #1-ranked contender at 125 pounds on Saturday night inside the Apex.
And although he exited the cage with a defeat added to his previously perfect record, the rising Japanese star certainly made a splash in his sophomore experience in the headline spotlight.
Taira Keeps Eyes On Ultimate Prize After First UFC Setback
Taira played his part in one of the best main events and fights seen under the UFC banner in 2024, going toe-to-toe with Brandon Royval across 25 minutes in Las Vegas.
The Japanese 24-year-old earned the nod on one of the judges' scorecards, but he ultimately fell on the wrong side of a split decision verdict.
Nevertheless, Taira's stock didn't appear to fall with the result, which came after he had overcome notable adversity in round three to avoid being finished.
And moving forward, the loss has seemingly done little to affect the Okinawa native's drive to reach the top. In fact, he appears more eager to achieve title glory in the UFC than ever.
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"Thank you so much for all your support. I'm also grateful to my team for coming to the U.S. and supporting me," Taira wrote on X (translated from Japanese). "Even though I was overcome with emotion after losing, I felt a strong desire to become UFC champion and give back to everyone, even if just a little. I will look forward and come back stronger."
While Taira looks ahead to his chance to quickly return to winning ways next time out, gold is no doubt on the mind of Royval.
"Raw Dawg" has now won back-to-back main events against top-five opposition since falling short against Alexandre Pantoja in his first title shot last December. He'll now have a close eye on "The Cannibal's" upcoming defense opposite newcomer Kai Asakura.