Joshua Van made the mistake, but it’s Daniel Cormier who’s catching the heat for it. The 24-year-old defended his UFC flyweight title for the first time against Tatsuro Taira in the co-main event of UFC 328. After a difficult opening round, where the Japanese challenger dominated with four takedowns and extended ground control, Van rallied hard in the second and completely shifted the momentum of the fight.

Although Tatsuro Taira managed to bring Joshua Van back to the mat early in Round 2, the champion quickly scrambled to his feet and stunned the challenger with a sharp punch that dropped him. Taira survived the round, however, and the fight moved into the third. By the start of Round 3, Taira appeared fully recovered, but Van remained firmly in control. 

Midway through the round, the Japanese contender shot for a badly telegraphed takedown attempt. Van read it perfectly and blasted him with a brutal knee to the head. That’s where the controversy began. Footage appeared to show Taira with one hand touching the canvas, which would make the strike illegal under New Jersey’s ruleset. 

Unlike some commissions that have adopted the newer unified rules allowing knees to the head when only a hand is grounded, New Jersey still considers that position a grounded opponent. Cormier, who was on commentary, immediately pointed it out and correctly called it an “illegal knee” to the head, but claimed it was okay. Despite that, the referee failed to notice the foul, and the action continued. 

Van proceeded to unload heavy punishment on Taira for the remainder of the round. Still, the bloodied Japanese fighter showed incredible toughness, surviving the barrage and making it to the fourth. In Round 4, Taira returned to his wrestling-heavy approach, controlling much of the action on the ground while also trading calf kicks with the champion during the striking exchanges. 

The fight eventually reached the championship rounds, but Van defended the takedown attempts more effectively and began pulling away again on the feet. Early in the fifth, Van landed a crushing body shot that visibly hurt Taira. A series of follow-up strikes forced the referee to step in and stop the fight, despite Taira protesting the stoppage and wanting to continue.

Meanwhile, fans took to social media to lash out at Cormier for claiming it was okay.

Daniel Cormier caught between Joshua Van and Tatsuro Taira 

One user refused to accept the reality. “Illegal knee by Joshua Van… bulls—t #ufc,” the user commented. However, since the referee didn’t stop the fight, Van appears to have gotten away with it. 

Another user laughed at Cormier’s comment. “@dc_mma: ‘knee was illegal, but it’s okay’ 😂😂😂,” the user posted. But Cormier’s comment appears to be turning out to be true. 

Someone else pointed out the comments made by the commentary team. “That’s an illegal knee to a grounded opponent. Call the cops – UFC328,” the user posted. Despite the knee, though, there’s no doubt that Van was dominating the fight and headed for a win. 

Meanwhile, this user took offense to Cormier’s seemingly nonchalant take on the illegal knee. “Cormier: ‘That was an illegal knee, but it’s ok.’ Um. No, that shouldn’t be ok Dan,” the user commented.

The next user felt Joshua Van may have gotten carried away. “Holy S—t, did Joshua Van gas himself out going for the finish? Also, how did Taira survive that round after the illegal knee by Van? #UFC328,” the user commented.

Despite the controversy, the fight still went down as one of the most thrilling bouts in recent UFC history. It not only solidified Joshua Van’s status as a legitimate champion but also proved that Tatsuro Taira is an absolute warrior willing to endure unbelievable punishment and keep coming forward.