Fans will have to wait a bit longer to see Joshua Van make his first flyweight title defense. The highly anticipated co-main event at UFC 327, which was set to feature the Burmese star against Tatsuro Taira, has been postponed after Van suffered an undisclosed injury.
As a result, the Miami card on April 11 will now be headlined solely by the light heavyweight title clash between Jiri Prochazka and Carlos Ulberg. The good news, however, is that Van’s injury does not appear to be serious, with his bout against the Japanese star already rescheduled as the co-main event for UFC 328 on May 9.
The UFC officially confirmed the development during the broadcast of UFC Vegas 115 on Paramount+. Stepping into the co-headliner slot for UFC 327 is the light heavyweight debut of Paulo Costa, who is set to face undefeated contender Azamat Murzakhanov. Interestingly, the injury twist comes full circle for Van.
Due to injury with UFC flyweight champion Joshua Van, his co-main event bout with Tatsuro Taira has been moved to UFC 328: CHIMAEV vs STRICKLAND on Saturday, May 9 at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. pic.twitter.com/3dzc2vdF9G
— UFC (@ufc) April 5, 2026
He captured the flyweight title at UFC 323 after Alexandre Pantoja suffered an elbow injury early in their fight. That moment reshaped the division, especially with Taira earning his shot by defeating Brandon Moreno on the same card. Van’s current setback could also be tied to his relentless activity over the past year.
The young champion fought four times in just nine months, including a war against Brandon Royval at UFC 317, before dethroning Pantoja in December. Now riding a six-fight win streak and already the second-youngest champion in UFC history, Van remains one of the sport’s fastest-rising stars. His eventual clash with Taira promises to be a historic moment, as two of Asia’s top talents collide for UFC gold.
Despite the shake-up, UFC 327 still delivers a stacked lineup. The main event between Prochazka and Ulberg, who boast a combined 40 finishes, promises fireworks in the fight for the vacant light heavyweight title.
The card also features several high-octane matchups, including Dominick Reyes vs. Johnny Walker, a retirement bout for Cub Swanson against Nate Landwehr, Randy Brown taking on Kevin Holland, and a long-awaited showdown between Patricio Pitbull and Aaron Pico. With Cost
Kshitiz Kumar Singh is a UFC Writer at NY Fights with over three years of experience in sports journalism and content creation. Known for his sharp storytelling and passion for combat sports, he has written in-depth features on stars like Brock Lesnar, Randy Couture, and Ilia Topuria. Before joining NY Fights, Kshitiz worked as a UFC Editor at EssentiallySports while currently serving as a WWE Editor at FirstSportz. His admiration for legends like Georges St-Pierre continues to inspire his detailed and engaging MMA coverage. Whether he’s covering the Octagon or the squared circle, Kshitiz is committed to delivering accurate, high-quality content. Outside the world of sports, he’s a dedicated cinephile, often found practicing monologues from his favorite Al Pacino films, combining his love for cinema with storytelling.