Joshua Van, the flyweight champion, has disclosed that his coaches made the decision to postpone his title defense against Tatsuro Taira at UFC 327. Although Van was prepared to compete despite a minor injury, his team insisted on his complete recovery to ensure he was at 100% before entering the octagon. The fight has since been rescheduled and will now take place as the co-main event at UFC 328.
In a recent interview, Van stated, “It was a minor injury, I would’ve taken the fight. The coaches saw something in training and called it off; they told me to rest and be 100% when you fight.”
Tatsuro Taira, who is set to challenge for the title, believes the fight at UFC 328 will be crucial in determining the true flyweight champion. He noted that Joshua Van’s championship win at UFC 323, which ended prematurely due to an injury sustained by Alexandre Pantoja, was controversial, leading some to question Van’s legitimacy as champion. Taira is eager to prove himself in their upcoming bout.
“I think [Joshua Van vs. Alexandre Pantoja ended] too early. We have to prove who the real champion is in this fight [UFC 328],” Taira commented.
