Top UFC flyweight contender Manel Kape wasn’t a fan of Joshua Van and Tatsuro Taira’s cordiality at the UFC 328 press conference.
One of the most under-the-radar fights at UFC 328 is the co-headlining bout between flyweight champion Joshua Van and surging contender Tatsuro Taira. On a card headlined by the middleweight grudge match between Khamzat Chimaev and Sean Strickland, Van vs. Taira is a popular pick for potentially being the ‘Fight of the Night’ in Newark.
Van earned the flyweight title after Alexandre Pantoja suffered an injury just seconds into their fight at UFC 323 in December. As of this writing, Pantoja remains unbooked for his return to the Octagon, and an exact timeline for his next fight remains uncertain.
Instead of a Van vs. Pantoja rematch, the UFC matchmakers summoned Taira to face Van in the latter’s first flyweight title defense. It’s the first title fight in UFC history to feature two Asian fighters.
Despite the potential fireworks that could take place inside the cage, the buildup to Van vs. Taira has been very cordial between the two young stars. At a chaotic UFC 328 pre-fight press conference on Thursday, Van and Taira opted to take a respectful route and were pushed to the background of the setting.
Manel Kape blames Joshua Van and Tatsuro Taira for UFC nearly ‘cutting the division’
One top flyweight contender, Manel Kape, slammed Van and Taira for failing to promote themselves and make the most of the stage at Thursday’s press conference.
In a recent tweet, Kape reacted to the UFC 328 press conference and Van and Taira’s cordiality.
“That’s one of the reasons they were thinking about cutting this division,” Kape posted after Van and Taira’s press conference appearances and faceoff.
Kape could potentially face the winner of Van vs. Taira after UFC 328. The rising star will fight former Rizin rival Kyoji Horiguchi in a flyweight headliner next month and has won three straight fights.
This is far from the first time that Kape has taken shots at Van in recent months. The two went back and forth on social media after Kape accused Van of ducking a potential title fight booking.
What is your prediction for Joshua Van vs. Tatsuro Taira? Let us know in the comments!