Joshua Van showcased an impressive performance, delivering a Fight of the Year contender and successfully defending his flyweight crown against Tatsuro Taira at UFC 328. The bout concluded with a dramatic fifth-round knockout.
The initial round saw Taira dominate with multiple takedowns, establishing control time that likely favored him on the scorecards. Despite being taken down three times, Van demonstrated resilience by returning to his feet and landing solid strikes.
Taira secured another takedown in the second round. However, in the final minute, Van mounted a powerful offense, connecting with a ferocious right hand that sent Taira to the canvas. Van pressed for the finish, but Taira managed to survive the round.
The third round saw Van continue his aggressive approach, scoring another knockdown and nearly securing a rear-naked choke. Despite Van’s sustained pressure, Taira again weathered the storm and ended the round in a dominant position.
Taira managed to secure another takedown in the third round, but the fourth round saw him regain control, pinning Van for a significant portion of the round. This would prove to be the final round Taira would see to completion.
In the decisive fifth round, Van executed a series of powerful body shots before landing a clean right hand that put Taira in a precarious position, appearing to turn away. Referee Jason Herzog stepped in to stop the fight.
Taira immediately protested the stoppage, but his inability to intelligently defend himself led to the referee’s decision. The official result was Joshua Van defeating Tatsuro Taira via TKO (strikes) at 1:32 of Round 5, retaining the UFC flyweight world championship.
