Joshua Van
Joshua Van already has his first title defense scheduled. Van confirmed that he will defend the flyweight belt against Tatsuro Taira at UFC 327.
The announcement was made by Van during a Q&A session with fans at the activities leading up to the UFC Houston ceremonial weigh-ins.
At just 24 years old, Van had the biggest year of his career in 2025, fighting four times and ultimately closing out the final PPV of the year as the new flyweight champion.
After defeating Rei Tsuruya and Bruno Da Silva, Van accepted a short-notice fight against Brandon Royval, defeating him by unanimous decision at UFC 317.
Following a bout widely considered Fight of the Year, he earned the right to become the next title challenger, facing Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 323. An unexpected arm injury suffered by the Brazilian allowed Van to capture the belt in just 26 seconds.
Taira also had a busy 2025 inside the Octagon. The 26-year-old Japanese fighter bounced back from his first loss in the organization by submitting Hyun Sung Park at UFC Vegas 108.
In his most recent fight, the Okinawa native became the first fighter to knock out former UFC flyweight champion Brandon Moreno at UFC 323.
UFC 327 will take place on April 11 at the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida.
