Joshua Van TKOs Tatsuro Taira in Round 5 at UFC 328 — The Japanese Warrior Finally Lost
Van defended his flyweight title by finishing Taira via knockout in the fifth round at UFC 328. In doing so he denied Taira’s aspirations to be the first-ever male Japanese UFC Champion, while making him the first man from Asia to compete in an all-Asia men’s title bout in UFC history.
Van vs Taira - How the fight unfolded
In the opening rounds, Tatsuro Taira took control using a combination of takedown attempts and wrestling techniques, which included a near-finisher guillotine choke and a triangle choke attempt after scrambling. Van however was able to survive every attack from the top position on the mat, and eventually transitioned into the stand-up where he began to walk Taira down using the jab, and lower his hands to bait the exchanges.
By Round 5, Taira was exhausted. Joshua Van stalked Taira and continued to use the jab to keep the distance before landing a clean uppercut and another jab to drop Taira. After that, Van swarmed Taira with unanswered strikes; he attempted a face crank, and then a rear-naked choke attempt, before returning to pound Taira with strikes on the ground until the referee stopped the fight.
What this fight means
Van's victory serves as the TKO that his detractors were demanding. Van earned the belt at UFC 323 versus Alexandre Pantoja under very questionable circumstances due to an injury. Since winning the title, there have been numerous questions about whether Van is truly deserving of being the Flyweight Champion.
Finishing one of the best grapplers at 125 lbs in five rounds (and ultimately finishing him on the feet) will go a long way towards answering those questions. Check out the full UFC 328 results.
As for Tatsuro Taira, his loss is devastating. For years now Japan has waited patiently for their first-ever male UFC Champion. “The Best” may never have come closer than Taira did. While Taira battled through four tough rounds with Van, unfortunately he has no new information regarding when or if Japan will finally produce their own male UFC Champion.
