Cooper Albers previews the flyweight championship fight between Joshua Van and Tatsuro Taira at UFC 328 in Newark, New Jersey.
After months of uncertainty, Saturday night will finally bring clarity to the flyweight division.
Myanmar’s Joshua Van (16–2, 9–1 UFC) captured the 125-pound strap at UFC 323 in controversial fashion — earning a first-round TKO after the long-reigning champion Alexandre Pantoja suffered a freak arm injury. After a minor injury of his own pushed back his first defense by a month, Van will now put his belt on the line against Japanese contender Tatsuro Taira (18–1, 8–1 UFC) in the co-main event of UFC 328 in New Jersey.
Taira enters as a -166 moneyline favorite on DraftKings Sportsbook, while Van sits as a +140 underdog. The total is set at O/U 3.5 rounds.
Following an anticlimactic finish and a muted celebration, Joshua Van is eyeing a chance to finally shine on the championship stage. The second-youngest champion in UFC history, 24, also profiles as a human highlight reel — an elite boxer who lands 8.84 significant strikes per minute, the highest rate that the sport has ever seen. He owns a 63% finish rate, highlighted by eight knockouts and three first-round finishes.
Aptly nicknamed “The Fearless,” Van has won six straight bouts while continuing to show his mettle against formidable competition. He earned his title shot after prevailing in a stand-up war against the much larger Brandon Royval. The freestyle fighter also stuffed 17 of 21 takedown attempts from formerly undefeated contender Rei Tsuruya. He now looks to erase the asterisk on his championship reign.
Tatsuro Taira enters Saturday night with a chance to become the first Japanese champion in UFC history. And if his last bout was any indication, he’s certainly up for the challenge. The well-rounded contender is fresh off a second-round TKO of Brandon Moreno in December, becoming the first man to finish the former champion.
Taira, 26, is a dangerous stoppage artist with strong grappling and a lethal submission game. He owns a 77% career finish rate — six by knockout and eight by tap-out — with eight of his wins coming inside the opening round. After a split-decision loss to Royval in October 2024, Taira rebounded with back-to-back second-round finishes to rejoin the title conversation. Now, “The Best” looks to prove that he’s just that.
Saturday’s co-main event is an early frontrunner for Fight of the Night, pitting aggressive finishers in the sport’s fastest division. In what should be a highly competitive matchup, however, the scale tips in favor of the incumbent champion.
While Van has yet to fully cement himself as king of the flyweights, he’s already shown that he can hang with bigger opponents and elite grapplers. Expect him to stuff Taira’s takedown attempts, impose his clear striking advantage, and close the night to the tune of “And Still!”
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