Weekly Sports Roundup: Van KOs Taira, McCain Sweeps, Woo Shines, Imai Struggles
By James Moreau | 13 May, 2026

Joshua Van makes Myanmar proud with a late knockout while Bryan Woo provides a rude return to Tatsuya Imai.

Joshua Van made history at UFC 328 by winning the first-ever all-Asian title fight in the promotion’s history, delivering a poised and tactical performance to secure a decisive victory over Tatsuro Taira.  Van, the first Burmese-born fighter to hold a UFC belt, neutralized Taira’s high-level grappling for four rounds before landing a devastating knockout near the end of the fifth.  This masterclass sparked viral videos of fans across his native Myanmar erupting in celebration, as Van became the first champion born in the 2000s to successfully defend a world title.

On the hardwood, combo guard Jared McCain fueled a dominant Oklahoma City Thunder sweep of the Los Angeles Lakers, with an elite shooting display throughout the series.  McCain, who is of Filipino heritage, shot a blistering 63% from deep and scored 11.5 points per game, outpacing his regular season averages.  The Thunder leisurely await their opponent in the Western Conference Semifinals.

In MLB action, Bryan Woo continued his dominant stretch of elite pitching for the Seattle Mariners.  The Chinese American tallied six scoreless innings and just one hit allowed against the Atlanta Braves – and followed that with another commanding outing against the Houston Astros.  He picked up his second win in seven days, amassing 18 strikeouts over 12 total innings with a 1.50 ERA.  Woo is now tied for the second-most quality starts in the league.

On the other side of that matchup, Tatsuya Imai’s return from a month-long layoff due to arm fatigue proved difficult.  The rough start to his MLB career continued as he struggled to find his rhythm, surrendering six earned runs in just four innings of work.  He’ll look to turn the page and find his footing this Sunday when he takes the mound against the division rival Rangers.