Joshua Van made a costly mistake during his UFC 328 co-main event title defense—but it was Daniel Cormier who bore the brunt of fan anger. The 24-year-old flyweight champion successfully retained his belt for the first time against Tatsuro Taira, but not without controversy. After a tough opening round in which the Japanese challenger controlled the action with four takedowns and extended ground time, Van turned the tide in the second with a strong rally that shifted the fight’s momentum.
Though Taira managed to take Van down again early in the second round, the champion scrambled up quickly and dropped the challenger with a sharp punch. Taira survived the round, and the fight headed into the third, where Van maintained control. Midway through the round, Taira attempted a telegraphed takedown, and Van countered with a brutal knee to the head—sparking the controversy. Video replays appeared to show Taira with one hand on the canvas, which, under New Jersey’s ruleset, makes the strike illegal. Unlike some commissions that now allow knees to the head when only a hand is grounded, New Jersey still considers that a grounded opponent. Cormier, on commentary, immediately recognized the knee as illegal but stated it was “okay.” The referee did not stop the fight.
Van continued to unload heavy punishment on Taira for the rest of the round. The bloodied Japanese fighter showed incredible toughness, weathering the barrage and making it to the fourth. In Round 4, Taira returned to his wrestling-heavy approach, controlling much of the ground action while trading calf kicks with the champion during striking exchanges. The fight eventually reached the championship rounds, where Van defended takedown attempts more effectively and began pulling away on the feet. Early in the fifth, Van landed a crushing body shot that visibly hurt Taira, and a series of follow-up strikes forced the referee to step in and stop the fight, despite Taira’s protests.
Fans quickly took to social media to criticize Cormier for his seemingly casual take on the illegal knee. One user wrote, “Illegal knee by Joshua Van… bulls—t #ufc.” Another laughed at Cormier’s comment: “@dc_mma: ‘knee was illegal, but it’s okay’ 😂😂😂.” A third user noted the commentary team’s reaction: “That’s an illegal knee to a grounded opponent. Call the cops – UFC328.” Despite the controversy, many acknowledged that Van was dominating the fight and heading for a win. However, another fan took offense at Cormier’s nonchalant attitude: “Cormier: ‘That knee was illegal, but it’s okay.’”