Joshua Van Sets First Title Defense Vs. Tatsuro Taira At UFC 327

Brett OkamotoFeb 21, 2026, 10:58 PM ET
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UFC flyweight champion Joshua Van‘s first title combat shall be towards Tatsuro Taira at UFC 327 on April 11, officers introduced Saturday.

Van (16-2) broke out in an enormous method in 2025, rising from a digital unknown to UFC champion in 10 months. He’ll look to proceed that momentum towards Taira throughout UFC 326 at Kaseya Center in Miami.

Van, 24, claimed the belt with a TKO victory over Alexandre Pantoja in December. The 125-pound title combat led to simply 26 seconds after Pantoja suffered a dislocated elbow because of being flipped to the canvas by Van. Before that combat, Van beat Brandon Royval, Bruno Silva and Rei Tsuruya in 2025.

Taira (18-1), of Japan, has been pegged as a possible famous person ever since his UFC debut in 2022. A 26-year-old submission specialist, he’s coming off a second-round end of former champion Brandon Moreno in December.