Joshua Van successfully defended his flyweight title at UFC 328 on Saturday at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. His road to Newark was anything but smooth. His first title defense was nearly derailed by a knee injury that forced a one-month delay from UFC 327 to UFC 328.
Despite the setback and criticism from fans who doubted his readiness, Van proved his resilience by weathering over 10 minutes of control time from Taira before finding the fifth-round finish. This ability to win while compromised adds another layer to his burgeoning legacy.
Van stopped Tatsuro Taira via TKO at 1:32 of the fifth round. Despite Taira having over 10 minutes of control time early on, Van’s striking took over late, outlanding Taira 131 to 55 in significant strikes.
This win extended Van’s current UFC win streak to seven, placing him just behind Alexandre Pantoja (8) for the longest active streak in the division.
Despite being the flyweight king, Van recently admitted on the Jaxxon Podcast that he knows very little about the division’s pioneer, Demetrious Johnson. “I swear to God, I didn’t know he was in the UFC,” Van told Michael Bisping, noting he only recognized Johnson from ONE Championship highlights.
While Johnson technically holds the all-time record with 13 straight wins, he is retired from the UFC. Since the legend is no longer active, Van’s seventh consecutive victory on Saturday officially moves him into the number two spot for the longest active win streak in the division.
Not to mention, Johnson’s record is now under serious notice.
Joshua Van’s TKO of Tatsuro Taira Opens the Door to the Flyweight GOAT Debate
The win moves Van to 17–2. It also adds a key data point to his growing statistical footprint.
He currently holds the highest significant strike rate in UFC history at 8.84 per minute and the highest striking differential in flyweight history at +2.45. His 56.8% striking accuracy ranks second in the division’s history, trailing only Johnson.
In the record books, Johnson still leads the division with 13 straight wins, followed by Alexandre Pantoja at eight. Saturday’s victory was Van’s seventh in a row, moving him past Joseph Benavidez to tie Muhammad Mokaev for third all-time.
LONGEST FLYWEIGHT WIN STREAKS – UFC History
13 – Demetrious Johnson
08 – Alexandre Pantoja
07 – Joshua Van (@JoshuaVanBT)
07 – Muhammad Mokaev
06 – Joseph Benavidez#UFC328 pic.twitter.com/s3hbzH6nVn— UFC News (@UFCNews) May 10, 2026
Johnson’s 11 title defenses are a long way off, but Van has enough time in his hand. At 24, he is the second-youngest champion in UFC history, trailing only Jon Jones’ record by about six months.
His next move looks obvious now. After stopping Taira, Van said, per MMA FIGHTING, “Pantoja, you better get your s— right. We can run it back,” while the former champion stared him down from the crowd.
Their initial meeting at UFC 323 ended in just 26 seconds after Pantoja suffered a fluke shoulder and elbow dislocation while bracing for a fall. So, a rematch would finally settle who the better fighter is.
PHOTO CREDIT: IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire
