The Best versus the Fearless, who’s going to take home the UFC belt? On Saturday, May 9th, Joshua (The Fearless) Van went up against Tatsuro (The Best) Taira in a fight to win the title of the UFC Champion.
The Japanese fighter Taira is one of Japan’s most promising fighters, he is known for his top tier grappling and submission skills. Early on in his career Taira had defeated many ranked flyweights and has built an undefeated record.
On the other hand, the Burmese fighter Joshua Van is known for his aggressive high-volume strikes and fast combinations. He became the second youngest UFC Champion in history and gained much attention for his endurance.
Joshua Van and Tatsuro Taira showcased two very different styles of fighting. Van relied heavily on his strikes while Taira focused on grappling and control. As the rounds progressed, Van began finding success with his strikes, making it harder for Taira to fight back.
In the fifth round, the fight ended in a TKO, meaning the fight had to be stopped because the fighter cannot safely continue, and Joshua Van became the Flyweight UFC Champion.
Naturally, the fight received much criticism from both sides. Fans criticized Van for being overly aggressive and for his “cockiness” and Taira was criticized for his fighting style that many thought was “boring”.
Yuni Kwon, Sophomore, says, “This was my first time watching a UFC game and it was intense… I felt bad for Taira because he was just taking all of Van’s strikes”
Areebah Saleheen, Junior, said that “it was a very unexpected match. I honestly didn’t think that Van would be able to win against Tatsuro Taira but I do hope Taira could make a comeback one day.”
Regardless of the results of the game, one thing is clear: Joshua Van and Tatsuro Taira had just produced one of the most iconic fights of the UFC Flyweights division.
