Tatsuro Taira is a problem at 125-pounds.

The Japanese former Shooto flyweight champion (who, incidentally, is the only fighter born in the 2000s to have won a UFC main event fight) is still just 24 but has rolled out a perfect 16-0 start to his career — with the past six of those taking place in the UFC cage.

The fifth-ranked Tatsuro gets an opportunity to move a few rungs up the flyweight ladder this weekend in the UFC Apex facility outside Las Vegas in a fight against the #1 ranked former world title challenger Brandon Royval in a bout generally considered to be the sternest test of his young career to date.

Tatsuro’s most recent fight in the Octagon took place this past June against the experienced Alex Perez — and while the ending came in somewhat bizarre fashion when Perez twisted his knee while attempting to defend a choke from Tatsuro, the battle did show why the Japanese is so well-regarded in MMA circles.

Check out the fight in full below:

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