Tatsuro Taira is very good at fist fighting

UFC Vegas 108 was a wild night, and we’ve got a lot to break down. First off, Tatsuro Taira just proved he’s on another level. He went in there and absolutely mauled Hyun Sung Park, handing the undefeated Korean his first pro loss.

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There’s levels to this, and Taira showed that in every way possible. Short notice? Didn’t matter. Amir Albazi pulled out? Taira didn’t blink. He just went in there, got the takedown, smashed Park’s knees, and ran through him. Japan might finally have their next real shot at a UFC champion in the flyweight division.
We go over the numbers, the takedowns, the control time—Taira dominated. And I mean dominated. Park only landed three strikes the entire fight. Taira’s wrestling-first approach paid off big time, and it was good to see after his previous loss to Brandon Royval. We also touched on Royval’s most recent fight and how that loss gives context to Taira’s development. You can’t ignore how much better he looked here.

Then we talk about Rinya Nakamura, another top Japanese prospect who didn’t have the same success. He’s got all the credentials—U23 world wrestling champ—but his last fight showed what happens when you fall in love with striking. His takedowns got stuffed, and that’s not what you want to see from a guy with that kind of pedigree.

After that, we get into the co-main event. Chris Duncan vs. Mateusz Rebecki—what a bloody war. This wasn’t your average decision. These two went at it like savages. Rebecki, the Polish powerhouse, brought the heat like he always does, and Duncan had to weather the storm. He figured things out mid-fight, adjusted after getting rocked early, and came back strong. You love to see that kind of mid-fight IQ.

And look—Rebecki is tough. He’s one of those guys who’s going to be a gatekeeper to the top 15. You want to see if a prospect is legit? You throw them in there with Rebecki and find out. That’s exactly what we saw here with Duncan. Now, I threw out a couple of matchups for Duncan moving forward—Ludovit Klein is my pick if you want to build him up slowly. But if you’re ready to test that chin and give the fans some violence? Give him Drew Dober. Still a banger of a fight even if Dober’s chin is fading a bit.

Let’s talk about Esteban Ribovics vs. Elves Brener. This fight had “Fight of the Night” written all over it—until Duncan and Rebecki said, “Hold my beer.” Still, the UFC was cool enough to hand out two Fight of the Night bonuses, and Ribovics vs. Brener definitely deserved it. Ribovics looked fantastic—super technical boxing, great cage cutting, constant pressure. He was all up in Brener’s grill the whole time. Hooks to the body, headshots, movement—it was a full performance.

Brener couldn’t keep up with the pace, and Ribovics never let him breathe. I’m a big fan of how Ribovics uses his hooks and footwork to trap guys. He’s not the straight puncher I want him to be just yet, but that pressure style is going to win him a lot of fights. For his next matchup? I like Mike Davis if you want chaos. Or Jim Miller if you want to see how he does against a tough vet with everything in the toolbox.

We also touched on the UFC's current state—lots of new names, lots of up-and-comers. There’s a clear effort to build new stars, and you’re seeing that with guys like Taira, Ribovics, and Duncan getting shine. You’ve got Paddy Pimblett, Ilia Topuria, Alex Pereira, Merab Dvalishvili—the UFC is figuring out how to promote again. Visibility is everything. Put the knockouts out there. Build the vibes off the violence. That’s how you make stars.

Other results from the card include Karol Rosa grappling her way to a win over Nora Cornolle, Neil Magny getting an old-man win over Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos, and Jean Silva beating Kevin Vallejos. There were some good scraps sprinkled throughout. Austin Bashi picked up a nice win, and Piera Rodriguez took care of business early on.

This episode is part of FightFinder 7, and honestly, I think it’s the best one yet. We’re doing a marathon this week where we watch all seven episodes in order, and I’ll be dropping in between each one with some behind-the-scenes commentary. But if you just want to jump into the newest one, go for it. It’s live now and it’s got everything—karate, chaos, knockouts, and deep dives into the next generation of UFC talent.

Let me know in the comments who you think should be next for Tatsuro Taira, Esteban Ribovics, and Chris Duncan. Who's your favorite prospect coming out of UFC Vegas 108? And are you feeling optimistic about the UFC’s next wave of stars?

This is FightFinder—where the violence meets the breakdown. Let’s go.

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