Who will face Joshua Van next? That has been the burning question ever since the Burmese star became champion at UFC 323 following Alexandre Pantoja’s freak elbow dislocation. Well, there are definitely a few names that would stack up beautifully against the 24-year-old champ in his first title defense. But Van now seems to have zeroed in on a surprising challenger for a potential mega event.

Taking to social media, the youngest active UFC champ revealed that he has officially signed his next contract, teasing fans and sending speculation into overdrive about his return.

Joshua Van reveals signing a contract for his next fight

“Joshua Van teasing some upcoming fight news 👀,” popular MMA account Championship Rounds posted on X, sharing a screenshot of the flyweight champ’s own post that simply read, “signed.”

With that post, it is all but confirmed that the all-time second youngest UFC champion (behind Jon Jones) is gearing up for his first title defense. But who is the opponent, and where will the fight take place? Those questions remain unanswered for now, and the UFC is expected to clarify things soon. That said, there are already a few strong possibilities floating around.

On X, MMA content creator Kevin reported that Joshua Van vs Tatsuro Taira is rumored to headline UFC 327 in Miami. So far, the UFC has confirmed six bouts for the Kaseya Center card, but the main event slot remains vacant. That makes a clash between the two young flyweight standouts a compelling option for the spotlight. However, while Miami appears to be a leading destination, both 125-pounders previously had a different date in mind.

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In a social media exchange, the Houston powerhouse called out the Japanese star for March 7th, and Taira quickly accepted. Then, in a twist, Manel Kape fired off a counterpost, staking his own claim to face Joshua Van on that same date. As the back and forth escalated, fans quickly realized that UFC 326 is scheduled for March, featuring Max Holloway vs. Charles Oliveira for the BMF title at T-Mobile Arena. That made it unlikely the promotion would stack another title fight on the same card.

Now, that puts UFC 327 in Miami in a very strong position to host the flyweight title showdown. But interestingly, another major fight has also been rumored for the same card.

A light-heavyweight headlining showdown in Miami?

So far, the promotion has confirmed six bouts for the Kaseya Center in Miami. Among those matchups, two main card fights sit in the light heavyweight division. Because of that, fans quickly connected the dots and assumed a 205 lbs clash could headline the event. Soon enough, rumors of Jiri Prochazka facing Carlos Ulberg in the main event started spreading like wildfire.

Initially, ‘BJP’ shut down speculation about the fight being finalized for UFC 327, stating that he was still in the negotiation stage. However, the former champ later revealed he would even be willing to miss the birth of his child to fight Ulberg in Miami if the gold belt was on the line.

“She have the date, with the baby for 13th of April and possible date of the fight is 11th. I told her,” Prochazka told MMA Today. “If there will be a possibility to fight for a title, I have to accept that. And she said if that will be a fight for title, let’s go for that,” he added.

The date the Czech fighter mentioned lines up perfectly with April 11, when UFC 327 is scheduled for the Kaseya Center in Miami. So alongside a potential Van vs Taira flyweight title fight, the UFC could also stack Prochazka vs Ulberg on the same card, turning the event into an absolute spectacle.

That said, what do you think ends up headlining UFC 327? Let us know in the comments section below.