Newark, NJ—-Joshua Van delivered the biggest statement of his young career Saturday night, overcoming adversity and stopping Tatsuro Taira in the fifth round to retain the UFC flyweight championship in the co-main event of UFC 328 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.
The 24-year-old champion showcased his toughness, patience, and elite striking throughout a grueling five-round battle. While Taira repeatedly dragged the fight to the mat and controlled large portions of the contest with his wrestling, Van continuously fought his way back to his feet and punished the challenger during exchanges on the feet.
As the fight progressed, Van’s striking volume and body work slowly broke Taira down. The damage finally caught up to the Japanese contender early in the fifth round when Van unleashed a relentless combination attack that forced the referee to stop the fight at the 1:32 mark.
After the victory, Van admitted he wanted an earlier finish but praised Taira’s durability and toughness inside the Octagon.
Van said his corner encouraged him to attack the body late in the fight, a strategy that ultimately helped secure the stoppage victory.
The championship bout was initially expected to take place at UFC 327 in April before being postponed after Van suffered a minor injury during training camp. The extra time appeared to benefit the champion, who looked sharper and more composed under pressure in his first official title defense.
Questions had surrounded Van’s championship reign after he captured the flyweight title in December 2025 when former champion Alexandre Pantoja suffered an arm injury just seconds into their championship fight. Critics wondered whether Van had truly been tested as champion entering UFC 328.
On Saturday night, Van answered those doubts emphatically.
Taira started the fight aggressively, securing an early takedown and controlling portions of the opening rounds with his grappling. For much of the contest, the challenger dictated where the fight took place, piling up over 10 minutes of control time while searching for submissions and positional dominance.
But every time Van escaped back to his feet, he made Taira pay.
Late in the second round, Van shifted the momentum dramatically with a powerful right hand that dropped Taira to the canvas. From there, the champion’s confidence grew as he began piecing together combinations and landing crisp jabs that repeatedly snapped Taira’s head back.
Round three may have been Van’s strongest stretch of the fight, as he bloodied Taira with sharp combinations and showcased the striking precision that has quickly made him one of the UFC’s rising stars.
Taira managed to slow the momentum in the fourth round with additional takedowns and strong ground control, but the constant punishment from Van’s striking eventually became too much to overcome.
By the fifth round, the challenger appeared exhausted from the relentless pace and damage. Van capitalized with a furious striking attack that forced the stoppage and solidified his status as the division’s champion.
Following the win, Van immediately turned his attention toward a potential rematch with Pantoja later this year, signaling that unfinished business still remains in the flyweight division.
With another impressive performance now on his résumé, Joshua Van continues to establish himself as one of the UFC’s fastest-rising stars and one of the most dangerous strikers in the flyweight division.
