Joshua Van

Overview

One loss in 12 UFC fights, and it came 20 seconds into a third round. Joshua Van is the Flyweight champion, 11-1 in the UFC, and he carries an eight-fight win streak, with the only defeat of his UFC run coming at the hands of Charles Johnson.

He debuted in June 2023, and three of his 11 UFC wins came over opponents our model rates as elite. All three were title fights.

UFC Career

Van's start was close. He beat Zhalgas Zhumagulov by split decision, then took a unanimous decision over Kevin Borjas at UFC 295. In January 2024 he stopped Felipe Bunes in the second round, 4:31 in.

Then the one blemish. Johnson knocked him out 20 seconds into the third round in July 2024. It remains his only loss.

What followed is the run that defines him. Decisions over Edgar Chairez and Cody Durden rebuilt the momentum. Rei Tsuruya, a strong opponent by our model's tiers, went the distance with him at UFC 313, and Van won a unanimous decision. At UFC 316 he stopped Bruno Silva in the third round at 4:01, and three weeks later he took a unanimous decision over strong opponent Brandon Royval at UFC 317.

Then came the title. At UFC 323, Van knocked out Alexandre Pantoja in 26 seconds of the first round in a title fight. It is his only first-round finish in the UFC, and it came against an elite opponent.

He followed it with Tatsuro Taira at UFC 328, another elite opponent, finishing him in the fifth round at 1:32 of a five-round title fight. Then the rematch: Van vs. Pantoja 2 headlined UFC 331 and went the full five rounds, with Van taking a unanimous decision in another title fight.

Three title fights. Three wins. Two of them over the same man.

Fighting Style

Joshua Van is a busy, accurate striker. He lands more often than most UFC fighters and connects at a high rate, and he is also hard to hit cleanly. He does take his share of shots along the way, so his fights tend to be exchanges rather than one-sided affairs.

He rarely shoots for takedowns and almost never hunts for submissions. He is also very hard to take down, which keeps his fights standing.

His results fit that profile. Four of his 11 UFC wins came by KO/TKO, none by submission, and the other seven went to the scorecards. His finishes came in rounds 2, 3 and 5, with one first-round stoppage.

Notable Wins

• Alexandre Pantoja — KO/TKO, round 1 (0:26), UFC 323 (2025), title fight
• Tatsuro Taira — KO/TKO, round 5 (1:32), UFC 328 (2026), title fight
• Alexandre Pantoja — unanimous decision, round 5, UFC 331 (2026), main event and title fight
• Brandon Royval — unanimous decision, round 3, UFC 317 (2025)

Quick Facts

• Division: Flyweight (champion)
• UFC record: 11-1
• Professional record (all promotions): 18-2-0
• UFC debut: June 2023
• Stance: Orthodox
• Height / reach: 5'5" / 65"
• Team: 4oz Fight Club
• Born: Hakha, Myanmar