As the second-youngest champion in UFC history, 24-year-old Joshua Van entered 2026 already turning a lot of heads. But his pair of title defenses over the past five months have simply elevated him to an all-new level. Van (18-2), a native of Myanmar who fights out of Houston, made the first defense of his flyweight title in May when he finished a determined Tatsuro Taira in Round 5 of their thrilling and high-paced affair.
Then, in Los Angeles at UFC 331, Van took on former champion Alexandre Pantoja in their title rematch as "The Fearless" showcased an incredible well-rounded attack in scoring a thrilling decision win. Already one of the most active and exciting new faces on the UFC scene, the victory over Pantoja cemented Van's status as one of the top pound-for-pound fighters on the planet. event and UFC Fight Night is included with your subscription! Plans start as low as $8.99/month or $89.99/year!
After making his UFC debut in 2023, Van has already made an incredible 12 trips to the Octagon. He slipped up just once in 2024, suffering a third-round knockout at the hands of veteran Charles Johnson but has gone on in the past two years to win his next eight fights against some of the top names in the division. The foundation of Van's game is some of the fastest hands and best boxing skills in the promotion.
And when he mixes that with elite, five-round stamina and an almost unmatched fighting spirit, including an ability to surge in the championship rounds, Van has all the makings to be a long-reigning and dominant star. The evolution of Van's game has been swift from fight to fight, as evidenced by his takedown defense against Pantoja, which may have ultimately been the difference between them considering how often Van was getting the better of him in terms of striking. That doesn't mean the future will be easy, however, especially considering how deep the 125-pound division is at the moment.
In fact, the fighter most likely to be Van's next opponent, Manel Kape, who has won eight of his last nine, has been set as the early betting favorite by some oddsmakers. But if the division hopes to catch up to Van, they better do it now as he continues to mature and evolve at a rapid rate with marketable style and an ability to stay remarkably poised within the fires burning around him in a close and dangerous fight. Makhachev turned UFC 322 last November into a night of historical conquest as the former lightweight champion dominated Jack Della Maddalena with his grappling over five rounds to become the 11th two-division champion in UFC history.
His pursuit of history only continued at UFC 330 in August when he broke Anderson Silva's record for consecutive wins inside the Octagon with 17 following a unanimous decision win over Ian Machado Garry. Now a two-time featherweight king, the 37-year-old Volkanovski continues to put his 2024 knockout title loss to Topuria in the rearview mirror. At UFC 325 in January, Volkanovski defeated Diego Lopes for the second time in nine months, making it look even easier in the rematch.
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