Bogus stoppage? Fighters and fans react to ref stepping in on Van vs. Taira at UFC 328

TL;DR

Joshua Van defended his flyweight title against Tatsuro Taira at UFC 328, but the fight ended controversially when the referee stopped it in the fifth round despite Taira still being in the fight. Reactions from fighters and fans expressed frustration over the stoppage, questioning the referee's decision.

Key points

Joshua Van defended his flyweight title at UFC 328
The fight ended with a controversial referee stoppage
Tatsuro Taira was still fighting when the match was stopped
Many fighters and fans criticized the referee's decision
Judges had the fight tied at 2-2 before the final round

Mentioned in this story

Newark, New Jersey

Joshua VanTatsuro TairaUFC 328

NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - MAY 09: Joshua Van of Myanmar reacts after a TKO victory against Tatsuro Taira of Japan in the UFC flyweight championship fight during the UFC 328 event at Prudential Center on May 09, 2026 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC) Joshua Van just defended his flyweight title for the first time at UFC 328, but it wasn’t without controversy. The Burmese-American champ took the fight to Tatsuro Taira in a wild scrap that saw Van nearly finish things in a violent third round. Taira would survive and then nearly finish the fight with a lightning fast triangle in the fourth. In the fifth, Van went back to punishing Taira with shots to the body and face, putting it on the Japanese challenger to the point where the referee stepped in and waved things off (watch the highlights here). Taira wasn’t out, but he was getting brutalized. Immediately after the stoppage he pulled his mouthguard out and threw it in anger. And he wasn’t the only one upset with the referee’s decision to stop things. After surviving what he survived in the third round, many fighters and fans online felt like “The Best” deserved the right to keep going. To add to the controversy, two judges had the fight 2-2 going into the fifth. This wasn’t a one sided beating the referee saved Taira from … it was a fight he still had three and a half minutes to potentially win, or at least earn a split draw on the scorecards. Take a look at the reactions below.

Do the refs have the power in a fight ?…or do the fighters?

— Dominick Cruz (@DominickCruz) May 10, 2026 Listen, incredible fight, but Tatsuro Taira fought his fuckin balls off for 20+ minutes and you’re going to stop the fight like that?! F’n b/s man. Congrats to both warriors! Helluva fight! #UFC328

— Dustin Jacoby 🇺🇸 (@thehanyakdj) May 10, 2026 Yup good stoppage bruh was getting battered 🔥🔥🔥gotta respect van now 👌

— Terrance McKinney (@twrecks155) Taira recovered from the third u gotta let him try to recover there

Q&A

What happened in the UFC 328 fight between Joshua Van and Tatsuro Taira?

Joshua Van defended his flyweight title against Tatsuro Taira, winning by TKO after a controversial stoppage in the fifth round.

Why was the referee's stoppage in the Van vs. Taira fight controversial?

The stoppage was controversial because many believed Taira was still capable of fighting, especially since the judges had the score tied at 2-2 before the final round.

What were the reactions of fighters to the stoppage in the Van vs. Taira fight?

Fighters reacted with mixed feelings; some supported the stoppage while others felt Taira deserved the chance to continue after his performance in the earlier rounds.

What was the score of the judges going into the final round of the Van vs. Taira fight?

Two judges had the fight scored 2-2 going into the fifth round, indicating it was a very close contest.

Bogus stoppage? Fighters and fans react to ref stepping in on Van vs. Taira at UFC 328

TL;DR

Key points

Q&A

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