Miami to Witness History as Joshua Van and Tatsuro Taira Set First-Ever Men’s Asian UFC Title Clash at UFC 327

At 24 years old, he’s the second-youngest champ in UFC history, but the circumstances of that win left people wondering what he’s really capable of when the fight goes deep. Meanwhile, Taira earned his shot the hard way. Finishing Brandon Moreno in the second round is no small feat. 

Moreno had never been stopped before in his entire pro career. He’d been in wars with Figueiredo, fought Pantoja multiple times, and always found a way to survive even when hurt. Taira broke that streak and made it look relatively straightforward.

Having two fighters of Asian descent competing for a UFC men’s title hasn’t happened before, at least not in a matchup where both the champion and challenger fit that description. Miami in April gives them both plenty of time to prepare.

Henry Cejudo Backs Manel Kape As Flyweight’s Next Star, Ahead Of Joshua Van Vs. Tatsuro Taira

Cejudo earlier put real weight behind Manel Kape as the next big thing at flyweight, and coming from Triple C, that means something. He’s drawing the comparison to Brandon Royval, who shocked everyone by beating both Moreno and Taira in impressive fashion. That’s the kind of run that changes the landscape of a division, and Cejudo sees Kape doing something similar.

He said, “Manel Kape is what the Flyweight Division needs. We all saw what Brandon Roval has been able to do in the Flyweight Division. Defeating Brandon Moreno and Taira in the fashion that he actually did. The simple fact that Manel Kopp walks the talk, he’s got knock-up power,  and in all three of his opponents in TKOs, says a lot about him.”

With Van defending against Taira coming up, the flyweight picture is wide open behind them. If Kape keeps winning the way he has been, he’s one or two fights away from being in that title conversation himself. Cejudo calling it now just adds fuel to the hype, and honestly, it’s hard to argue with the logic.