UFC: Joshua Van is The Man
In an instant classic that will immediately become a 2026 Fight of the Year contender, UFC flyweight champion Joshua Van defeated rival Alexandre Pantoja via unanimous decision for his second successful title defense in the main event of UFC 331.
It was another phenomenal performance by Van, the 24-year-old Myanmar native who improved to 11-1 in the UFC since joining the promotion in 2024.
Related: UFC 331 Predictions for Van vs. Pantoja 2
By defeating Pantoja, he proved without a doubt he’s the best flyweight in the world, if any remained, after previously defeating Pantoja via injury TKO in December 2025 at UFC 323.
Joshua Van Is A Natural
Perhaps the most incredible thing about Van is that he only started training MMA in 2020.
To be as well-rounded as he is shows that he is a natural in this sport, as no one is supposed to get this good at MMA this fast — but Van has done just that.
Less than five years later, he won the UFC flyweight title against Pantoja, and since then, he’s defended his belt twice to show everyone he’s the cream of the crop in the 125 lbs weight class.
Following the win over Pantoja, Van is now 18-2 in his MMA career, with 11 wins to just one defeat inside the Octagon.
Since his lone loss in the UFC against Charles Johnson in July 2024, Van has reeled off eight straight wins, and he doesn’t appear to be slowing down anytime soon.
He is truly an incredible talent that seems to be getting better and better every time we see him fight, and given he is only 24 years old, he hasn’t even reached his athletic prime yet, which is a scary proposition for the rest of the UFC flyweight divison.
Most MMA fans consider UFC Hall of Famer Demetrious Johnson to be the greatest flyweight fighter in the sport’s history, and I would agree with that.
But Van is coming for him, and if he can keep up his winning ways, then he actually does have the potential to top “Mighty Mouse” as the best flyweight of all time.
Heck, if he keeps up what he’s doing, Van may move into the shortlist of the greatest MMA fighters of all time regardless of weight class.
That’s how good he is, and he just keeps rapidly improving, so there is a very real chance that he could become the best fighter in the division’s history by the time it’s all said and done.
He is truly a special talent and is coming for Randy Couture’s nickname of “The Natural.”
Joshua Van’s Next Challenge
Most likely, Van will step into the Octagon next against top contender Manel Kape, the Angolan-Portuguese knockout artist who has won four straight fights by knockout.
Kape has been waiting for a title shot for a while, but because the UFC wanted to do the rematch between Van and Pantoja first, Kape had to wait around.
Now, there’s no doubt he should be the next man in line to fight for UFC flyweight gold against Van.
Aside from Kape, other contenders at 125 lbs include rematches against Brandon Royval and Tatsuro Taira, fresh fights against Asu Almabayev and Ramazan Temirov, and potential future fights against Lone’er Kavanagh and Rei Tsuruya.
Safe to say that Van is going to be busy for the next little while, as there are plenty of fighters who are vying for their crack at the 125 lbs belt.
First, though, it’s Kape’s turn, and the UFC will likely try to book this fight for the first quarter of 2027 after Van heals up from this war against Pantoja.
The flyweight division continues to shine a bright light in the UFC, and Van vs. Kape is going to be one of the most highly anticipated fights of 2027, regardless of weight class.
Related: UFC Title Belts That Could Change Hands Before the Year Is Over
This story was originally published by Lindys Sports on Sep 21, 2026, where it first appeared in the Other Sports section. Add Lindys Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.