Van Silences Doubters With Late TKO of Taira at UFC 328.

Joshua Van left no questions unanswered in his first official flyweight title defense, overcoming relentless grappling pressure from Tatsuro Taira before stopping the Japanese contender in the fifth round at UFC 328 on Saturday night in Newark, New Jersey. The 24-year-old champion weathered repeated takedowns and more than 10 minutes of control time from Taira, but his striking eventually became too much to handle. After building momentum throughout the middle rounds, Van unleashed a barrage of punches early in Round 5 that forced the referee to halt the contest at 1:32. Van improved to 17-2 with the victory and successfully defended the belt he captured in December after Alexandre Pantoja suffered an early injury in their championship bout. Taira entered the fight with a clear strategy and executed it effectively early on. The 26-year-old secured a takedown within the opening minute and consistently dragged Van to the mat through the first two rounds. But despite the sustained grappling control, Taira struggled to generate significant damage, while Van made every striking exchange count whenever the fight returned to the feet. Late in the second round, Van shifted the momentum with a sharp right hand that dropped Taira and energized the crowd inside Prudential Center. From there, the champion’s confidence only grew. Round 3 showcased Van at his most dangerous. He sliced open Taira with crisp combinations, repeatedly found the target with his jab and briefly sent the challenger back to the canvas with another clean shot.

Taira managed to slow the pace with additional takedowns and regained some control in the fourth round while hunting for submissions, but the damage from the striking exchanges had begun to accumulate. The finish came quickly in the final frame. Van attacked the body before swarming Taira with rapid-fire combinations against the cage, forcing the stoppage and punctuating an impressive performance that highlighted both his durability and elite striking ability. After the fight, Van immediately called for a rematch with former champion Alexandre Pantoja, who is expected to be his next opponent later this year.