Joshua Van was originally going to make his first title defense at UFC 327. However, the flyweight champion had to withdraw due to an injury. The title bout wasrescheduled, and this weekend, Van will take on Tatsuro Taira in the co-main event of UFC 328.
On fight week, in an interview with Full Send MMA, Van admitted that he was game to fight Taira last month despite the minor injury. However, his team wanted him to recover and be 100% before he entered theoctagon, and therefore, they called the bout off. He said:
“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.”
Check out Joshua Van’s comments below:
Joshua Van admits he was ready to face Tatsuro Taira at their originally scheduled bout at UFC 327 but his team advised against it“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…pic.twitter.com/RfwqPB4pEF
Joshua Van won the flyweight belt at UFC 323 in just 26 seconds after Alexandre Pantojalanded on his arm and dislocated his elbow.Due to the controversial ending, some fans have labeled Van’s win as lucky and called for Pantoja to receive an immediate title rematch.
“The Cannibal” is now targeting a return in mid-2026 and is expected to fight the winner of the Van vs. Taira title bout.
Even Taira thinks Van won the title too early last year, as what happened to Pantoja was unfortunate, and this weekend, when the octagon door shuts, it will be time to prove who the real UFC flyweight champion is.
“I think [Joshua Van vs. Alexandre Pantoja ended] too early. We have to prove who the real champion is in this fight [UFC 328].”
Check out Tatsuro Taira’s comments below:
Source: LowKickMMA.com
