Joshua Van Injury Pushes Taira Title Fight to UFC 328

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- Joshua Van suffered an undisclosed injury, pushing his flyweight title defense against Tatsuro Taira from UFC 327 to UFC 328 on Saturday, May 9, where it will serve as the co-main event for Khamzat Chimaev vs. Sean Strickland.
- UFC announced the shift during Saturday's main card broadcast of UFC Fight Night, streaming live on Paramount+.
- Jiri Prochazka vs. Carlos Ulberg is now UFC 327's lone title fight, with the pair battling for the vacant light heavyweight championship.
- Paulo Costa vs. Azamat Murzakanov, a bout between Costa and a top-15 light heavyweight, has been promoted to the co-main event slot for UFC 327.
- Van's withdrawal is unexpected given his 2025 pace: he fought four times in nine months, won the flyweight title, and earned the CBS Sports 2025 Fight of the Year honor.
Why it matters: An active, just-crowned champion is suddenly off a pay-per-view, forcing the UFC to reshuffle two consecutive cards in under a month. Prochazka-Ulberg inherits top billing at UFC 327, Costa gets an elevated spotlight for his light heavyweight return, and Van-Taira remains intact but with a compressed turnaround before the May 9 co-main slot.

