Ultimate Fighting Championship took parts of two failed matches and created something special.
On Monday, UFC flyweight Joshua Bunn (10-1) posted on social media that his pairing with Suh Mudaerji at UFC 302 has been canceled. The Myanmar-born fighter had hoped to remain at the June 1 event in Newark, New Jersey, and his wish was granted. At short notice, ranking candidate Tatsuro Taira (15 wins, 0 losses) is scheduled to participate. Taira was originally scheduled to face Tim Elliott at UFC Fight Night 241 on May 18, but Elliott suffered an injury during training and was forced to miss the bout. Van’s management team
iridium sports agencybroke the news on Thursday.
Fury Fighting Championship mainstay Vann broke into the UFC with numerous stoppages on his record. Vann is on an eight-game winning streak dating back to 2021, although he has ended up close to the scorecards in two of the past three games. In the Octagon, Van earned a spot on the top team with a split decision over Zargas Zhumagulov. A few months later, Vann returned and defeated Kevin Borjas at the hands of the judges, and in January he scored his first stoppage victory in the UFC, finishing Felipe Bunes with a punch at the end of the second round.
While Bang has won eight straight, Taira, Japan’s top contender, has nearly twice that number. He is undefeated in 15 matches as a professional, with the Shooto product accounting for most of his wins within the distance. Taira appeared in 2022 when he won a decision over Carlos Candelario. Two submissions against CJ Vergara and Jesús Santos Aguilar made him one to watch, while a subsequent win over Edgar Chaires and a recent drubbing of Carlos Hernandez made Taira a contender for the first round of the finals. Became a candidate. A talented flyweight division.
UFC 302 will be headlined by Islam Makhachev vs. Dustin Poirier on June 1st for the lightweight title. Additional bouts at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. include a middleweight scrap between Sean Strickland and Paulo Costa, a heavyweight bout between Jaylton Almeida and Alexander Romanov, and Randy Brown versus Elizeu Zaleski. – Includes a sure-fire welterweight thriller from Doss. Santos.
