Joshua Van successfully defended his UFC flyweight title against Tatsuro Taira at UFC 328, winning by technical knockout in the fifth round. The fight showcased Van's striking ability, overcoming Taira's grappling skills.
Key points
Joshua Van defended his UFC flyweight title at UFC 328
Van won by technical knockout in the fifth round
Tatsuro Taira was a challenging opponent with grappling skills
The fight showcased Van's striking ability
Joshua VanTatsuro TairaUFC 328
New UFC Flyweight Rankings: Where Do Van & Taira Land After UFC 328 War?
John Jones-Imagn Images
On Saturday night at UFC 328, the flyweight title was on the line when current champion Joshua Van defended his recently won title for the first time against talented Japanese grappler Tatsuro Taira. Early on, it looked like the challenger might dominate with his ground game. However, the champ was patient and let his fists do the talking.
Over fight-hard-fought rounds, Vanās striking wore Taira out, and he eventually scored a technical knockout in the fifth and final round. Following the UFC 328 main event, letās see where Van and Taira land in our updated UFC flyweight rankings.
10. Steve Erceg (14-4)
steve erceg
Jason Silva-Imagn Images
Australian Steve Erceg got off to a fast start in the UFC by winning three straight. The 11-fight win streak overall earned him a title shot two years ago against then-champion Alexandre Pantoja. However, āAstroboyā struggled in the deep end of the flyweight pool. Losing to the Brazilian and then in his next two against top-five fighters.
However, he has bounced back with a pair of important wins. The most recent came against top-15 stalwart Tim Elliot in May. The victories have helped earn his way back into our UFC flyweight rankings.
9. Loneāer Kavanagh (10-1)
Q&A
What was the outcome of the UFC 328 main event between Joshua Van and Tatsuro Taira?
Joshua Van won the fight against Tatsuro Taira by technical knockout in the fifth round.
How did Joshua Van perform in his title defense at UFC 328?
Joshua Van demonstrated strong striking skills, wearing down Tatsuro Taira before securing a technical knockout.
What are the updated UFC flyweight rankings after UFC 328?
The updated UFC flyweight rankings reflect Joshua Van's successful title defense and the performance of Tatsuro Taira.
What challenges did Tatsuro Taira face during the fight at UFC 328?
Tatsuro Taira struggled against Joshua Van's striking, which ultimately led to his defeat by technical knockout.
Related Articles
Sports
Social Media Reacts To Beach Volleyball Star Falyn Fonoimoanaās Jaw-Dropping Physique
Yahoo SportsĀ·
CricketĀ·Recap
GT raise IPL 2026 playoff qualification chances to 72.52%, but Rajasthan Royals remain ahead at 80.31%
Gujarat Titans raise IPL 2026 playoff chances to 72.52% after big win!
Yahoo SportsĀ·Ā·1 min read
Sports
PREVIEW: Arsenal and West Ham face off in crucial clash at both ends of Premier League
Yahoo SportsĀ·
SoccerĀ·Transfer
Liverpool could now resurrect collapsed ā¬90m transfer
Liverpool has a chance to revive a collapsed ā¬90m transfer for Martin Zubimendi.
Yahoo SportsĀ·Ā·1 min read
Sports
Surfing champion on burnout: 'My body just shut down'
Lucy Campbell discusses her battle with burnout in surfing.
Yahoo SportsĀ·Ā·1 min read
Sports
šļø Front pages: the day BarƧa can sink Madrid
See every story in Sports ā including breaking news and analysis.
ufc flyweight rankings
Per Haljestam-Imagn Images
Despite a 3-1 record in the UFC, Englandās Loneāer Kavanagh lands a spot in our latest UFC flyweight rankings. The reason is a massive upset win in March over division legend Brandon Moreno. The 26-year-old came in on short notice and had to adjust to the high altitude of Mexico City, yet it didnāt matter as he scored a career-defining win over the former champion in his hometown.
Former M1 and Brave CF star Asu Almabayev entered the UFC having won 13 straight. He extended his hot streak inside the Octagon by winning his first four fights and scored victories over top 15 fighters Matheus Nicolau and Ode Osbourne. Unfortunately, when he took a big step up in competition against Manel Kape in March, he suffered his first loss in eight years.
However, he has bounced back from the setback with a pair of victories, including a big submission win over top-15 stalwart Alex Perez in November.
7. Brandon Royval (17-9)
ufc flyweight rankings
Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
Brandon Royval has quietly been one of the best 125-pound fighters in the world for quite some time. While he has come up short in some big fights, he owns a few impressive victories, including one over former division king Brandon Moreno.
However, fighting the best constantly comes with risk. At UFC 317, he took on the challenge of rising star Joshua Van and was surprisingly outgunned by the 23-year-old. Then, in December, he headlined a UFC Fight Night card against dangerous striker Manel Kape and was on the wrong end of the first knockout loss of his career.
6. Brandon Moreno (22-10-2)
brandon moreno
Perry Nelson-Imagn Images
Few flyweights have been better than Brandon Moreno. He has been in some of the greatest fights in the divisionās history and is a two-time champion. However, father time comes for all legends and he has been tapping on the Mexicanās shoulder in recent years.
Moreno was 3-2 heading into a clash in his home country against prospect Loneāer Kavanagh and needed a win to stay on the fringe of the title conversation. Unfortunately, he was on the wrong end of a surprise upset in Mexico City. There is a real possibility that it was the last time fans saw Moreno in the Octagon.
5. Kyoji Horiguchi (36-5)
ufc flyweight rankings
Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images
After leaving the UFC nearly a decade ago, Kyoji Horiguchi had a fantastic run outside the company and has long been viewed as the best flyweight not in the UFC. In November of 2025, the former dual Rizin and Bellator champion made his triumphant return to the promotion with an impressive decision win over Tagir Ulanbekov.
The Japanese star returned in February and got a stiff test from Amir Albazi. However, he once again outclassed one of the better flyweights in the world. After his latest victory, Horiguchi may be one win away from a title fight in 2026.
4.Ā Manel Kape (22-7)
ufc flyweight rankings
Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
It hasnāt always been easy for Manel Kape in the UFC, but āStarboyā remains one of the divisionās most exciting fighters. In his last eight fights, he is 7-1 with five finishes. One of the biggest knocks on his Octagon resume was the lack of marquee wins. Well, he got that in December.
In a UFC Fight Night headlining role, he took on top-five stalwart Brandon Royval, and Kape scored a massive first-round knockout win. He is as close as ever to a title shot in 2026.
3. Tatsuro Taira (18-2)
MMA: UFC 328 Van vs Taira
John Jones-Imagn Images
It has been a very long time since Japan has had a fighter representing the country at the highest levels of the sport. However, former Shooto champ Tatsuro Taira has emerged as one of the best flyweights in the world by winning eight of his first nine fights in the Octagon.
The impressive run earned him a title opportunity at UFC 328. However, despite landing a bunch of take-downs on Joshua Van, he was badly outmatched on the feet and suffered the first knockout loss of his career in the fifth and final round of a close fight.
2. Alexandre Pantoja (30-6) ā Top Contender
The UFC welterweight rankings often include some of the most talented fighters of all time. From the legendary days of Georges St-Pierre reigning supreme as the king of Canada to the era of "The Nigerian Nightmare" Kamura Usman, the division is always filled with some of the promotion's most important athletes. With that in mind, here are the official Sportsnaut rankings for the top 10 170-pound fighters right now in the UFC. 10. Joaquin Buckley (21-7) Brett Davis-Imagn Images Joaquin Buckley has hit several bumps in the road during his UFC career. However, much of that was at middleweight. But since he made the move to 170 pounds last year, "New Mansa" went on a tear and won six straight. Three of those victories came against greats of this era, Vicente Luque, Stephen Thompson, and Colby Covington. He got his biggest test yet when he faced division legend Kamaru Usman at UFC Atlanta. However, while he is one of the most dangerous strikers in the weight class, the former champ exposed his major grappling deficiencies in a one-sided decision loss. 9. Sean Brady (18-2) Sean Brady has been very impressive during his 10-fight run in the UFC. After a loss against former champion Belal Muhammad three years ago, he reeled off three big wins, including against another former champ, Leon Edwards. However, he ran into serious trouble at UFC 322 against heavy-hitter Michael Morales. The knockout loss he suffered likely cost him a title shot in 2026. 8. Shavkat Rakhmonov (19-0) Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images Shavkat Rakhmonov has proven over and over again that he can eventually hold UFC gold. He solidified that fact at UFC 310 with a hard-fought win over fellow rising star Ian Garry. While he wasn't his best version, he battled through a serious knee injury to stay unbeaten at 19-0. However, that knee issue is becoming a serious problem. The ailment sidelined him for all of 2025. Now, he is expected to miss much of 2026 after reinjuring the joint and needing another surgery. It's why he plummets down our latest UFC welterweight rankings and could eventually be bounced from the top 10 by the summer. 7. Kamaru Usman (21-4) Brett Davis-Imagn Images For six straight years, Kamaru Usman set a legendary standard of excellence as he created a resume that will guarantee him a spot in the UFC Hall of Fame. He will go down as one of the greatest welterweight fighters of all time and one of the best pound-for-pound competitors of his era. However, all good things come to an end. Yet, despite a three-fight losing skid, the 38-year-old showed at UFC Atlanta that he is far from done. Scoring a very dominant decision win over one of the fastest rising stars in the division. While he may not fight for gold again, Usman remains an elite talent at 170 pounds. 6. Belal Muhammad (24-4) Eric Bolte-Imagn Images Belal Muhammad has long gotten a lot of flak for his fight style, but there is no denying the impressive results, and it carried him all the way to the top to become the welterweight king in 2024. However, staying there is extremely difficult, and what makes legends. Unfortunately, after becoming champ, Muhammad has suffered a pair of disappointing losses. The most recent one came in November against Ian Machado Garry. There is no serious doubt that he will ever fight for the title again. 5. Jack Della Maddalena (18-4) Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images Australia's Jack Della Maddalena has become his nation's second greatest MMA export. The DWCS contract winner won his first seven inside the Octagon -- including five finishes -- and fairly earned a title shot in May of 2025. In his first shot at gold, he was successful, taking the belt from Belal Muhammad. However, staying at the top has been difficult for the Aussie. In his first title defense, he was soundly outworked by former lightweight champ Islam Makhachev. Then, despite being in front of his countrymen, he was demolished by Carlos Prates in May. JDM is firmly outside the title picture in 2026. 4. Carlos Prates (24-7) Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images Since earning his UFC contract on the Contender Series three years ago, Carlos Prates has been outstanding in the Octagon. Winning his first four -- all of them finishes. However, he did hit a bump in the road in April 2025 when he was outpointed by fellow title contender Ian Machado Garry. But he has bounced back from that setback since. Winning three straight, all of them finishes again, and the most recent was a dominant destruction of former division king Jack Della Maddalena. The Brazilian is now a legit title contender. 3. Ian Machado Garry (17-1) Ian Machado Garry is a notable part of the new wave of rising stars at 170 pounds. He is a very technical striker who is arguably the best self-promoter in the division. He has already scored several big wins inside the Octagon. However, his biggest win came in November, when he defeated former division king Belal Muhammad. The Irishman showed he is more well-rounded than he gets credit for by completely shutting down Muhammad's grappling game in Qatar. 2. Michael Morales (19-0) - Top Contender Jerome Miron-Imagn Images Ecuador's Michael Morales is quickly becoming one of the division's scariest fighters. After a dominant run on the regional scene, he reeled off five straight inside the Octagon, including three finishes. However, in his last two bouts, he has crushed two of the division's best of the last five years. The most recent came at UFC 322 when he may have locked up a title opportunity with a dominant knockout win over Sean Brady. 1. Islam Makhachev (28-1) - Champion Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images Islam Makhachev has stamped his place as one of the greatest UFC lightweights ever with his wins over Dustin Poirier, Alexander Volkanovski (twice), and Charles Oliveira. Not only is he a dominant grappler, but he has one of the most underrated standup games in the sport. At UFC 322, he etched his place in UFC history when he moved up in weight to become the latest fighter to win titles in two divisions as he became the new welterweight king with a dominant win over Jack Della Maddalena.
Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
Brazilās Alexandre Pantoja has had a long, hard road to becoming the UFC flyweight king. He toiled away inside the division for years before he was finally able to earn a title fight at UFC 290. In his first chance at being champion, he made good by scoring a second (third unofficial) win over division king Brandon Moreno.
He has been on a roll ever since and is putting himself in the discussion as one of the best 125ers of all time. At UFC 317, he extended his win streak to eight straight with another dominant win, this time over Kai Kara-France. Pantoja has a case as the best flyweight ever, not named Demetrious Johnson.
1. Joshua Van (16=7-2) ā Champion
joshua van
Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
Joshua Van has become one of the flyweight divisionās most exciting and dominant fighters after winning 10 of his 11 fights inside the Octagon. After a surprise loss to Charles Johnson in 2024, āThe Fearlessā caught fire and has won six straight.
While his title win at UFC 323 was controversial, he quieted many of his doubters in May when he overcame a bunch of takedowns from Tatsuro Taira and scored an impressive fifth-round TKO in his first title defense. Former champ Alexandre Pantoja will surely be next.