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Van sets first title defense vs. Taira at UFC 327

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Van sets first title defense vs. Taira at UFC 327

  • Brett OkamotoFeb 21, 2026, 10:58 PM ET

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      Brett Okamoto has reported on mixed martial arts and boxing at ESPN since 2010. He has covered all of the biggest events in combat sports during that time, including in-depth interviews and features with names such as Dana White, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Conor McGregor, Nate Diaz, Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao and Georges St-Pierre. He was also a producer on the 30 for 30 film: «Chuck and Tito,» which looked back at the careers and rivalry of Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz. He lives in Las Vegas, and is an avid, below-average golfer in his spare time.

UFC flyweight champion Joshua Van‘s first title fight will be against Tatsuro Taira at UFC 327 on April 11, officials announced Saturday.

Van (16-2) broke out in a big way in 2025, rising from a virtual unknown to UFC champion in 10 months. He’ll look to continue that momentum against Taira during 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 fight ended in just 26 seconds after Pantoja suffered a dislocated elbow as a result of being flipped to the canvas by Van. Before that fight, Van beat Brandon Royval, Bruno Silva and Rei Tsuruya in 2025.

Taira (18-1), of Japan, has been pegged as a potential superstar ever since his UFC debut in 2022. A 26-year-old submission specialist, he is coming off a second-round finish of former champion Brandon Moreno in December.

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