Joshua Van, the first Myanmar-born champion in UFC history, will attempt his first flyweight title defense when he meets Japanese star Tatsuro Taira at UFC 327.

Joshua Van vs. Tatsuro Taira preview

Van (16-2 MMA, 9-1 UFC) claimed the UFC’s 125-pound title in unceremonious fashion when he beat Alexandre Pantoja by injury TKO just 26 seconds into their fight at UFC 323 in December. The win extended Van’s winning streak to six after he was coming off a win over Brandon Royval in the 2025 Fight of the Year five months earlier at UFC 317.

Taira (18-1 MMA, 8-1 UFC), No. 5 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie flyweight rankings, will get his first UFC title shot on the strength of back-to-back wins. After losing to Royval by split decision in October 2024, Taira bounced back with a pair of second-round stoppages against Hyun Sung Park and most recently former champion Brandon Moreno, also at UFC 323.

Joshua Van vs. Tatsura Taira odds

According to DraftKings, the sitting champion opens as an underdog, with Van listed +160 and Taira returning as the favorite at -192.

How to watch Joshua Van vs. Tatsura Taira at UFC 327

• Where: Kaseya Center, Miami
• Broadcast/streaming: Paramount+
• When: Saturday, April 11, 2026

This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Joshua Van vs. Tatsuro Taira: UFC 327 betting odds and info