Joshua Van answered every question surrounding his reign with a fearless performance at UFC 328, stopping Tatsuro Taira in the fifth round to keep hold of the UFC flyweight championship in Newark, New Jersey.
The 24 year old champion entered the co main event carrying pressure after some fans questioned the legitimacy of his title victory over Alexandre Pantoja last December. Pantoja had suffered an arm injury just 26 seconds into their clash, leaving critics unconvinced. Against Taira, however, Van delivered the kind of display that left little room for doubt.
Taira began the contest strongly and quickly imposed his grappling advantage. The Japanese contender secured an early takedown and repeatedly dragged Van to the canvas during the opening rounds. Although Taira controlled large periods of the fight and finished with more than 10 minutes of control time, he struggled to inflict major damage once the action hit the mat.
Every time Van returned to his feet, he made the challenger pay with sharp and accurate striking combinations. His speed and timing slowly shifted the momentum of the contest. Near the closing moments of round two, Van connected with a powerful right hand that dropped Taira and ignited the crowd inside Prudential Center.
From that point onward, the champion’s confidence grew noticeably. Round three saw Van unleash some of his best offensive work, repeatedly landing clean punches that bloodied Taira and forced him backward. A stiff jab also sent the challenger crashing down once again, though Taira managed to survive by returning to his wrestling attack.
The fourth round belonged largely to Taira, who regained control on the ground while searching for submission opportunities. Yet the physical toll from Van’s strikes was becoming impossible to ignore.
The decisive moment arrived early in the fifth round. Van unleashed a relentless barrage aimed at both the head and body before overwhelming Taira with rapid combinations. The referee stepped in at the 1 minute and 32 second mark to stop the bout and confirm Van’s first successful defence of the flyweight title.
Van improved his professional record to 17 and 2 with the victory, while Taira dropped to 18 and 2. After the fight, the champion immediately called out former titleholder Alexandre Pantoja and hinted that a rematch could take place later this year.
