Joshua Van
Flyweight · Myanmar / United States · UFC
Pressure striker with a high pace, durable chin and improving wrestling
Forward pressure and volume that breaks opponents late
Record & stats
| Division | Flyweight |
|---|---|
| Categories | MMA |
| Promotion | UFC |
| Nationality | Myanmar / United States |
| Born | Hakha, Chin State, Myanmar |
| Team | 4oz. Fight Club |
| Pro debut | 2021 |
| Height | 165cm5′5″ |
| Reach | 165cm5′5″ |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Age | 24 |
| KO rate | 61% |
| Status | Active |
How the wins come
61% Finish rate- 9 KO/TKO · 50%
- 2 Submission · 11%
- 7 Decision · 39%
Recent results
- Wvs Alexandre Pantoja 🏆Van def. Pantoja — unanimous decision (49-46, 48-47, 50-45), 2nd title defence
- Wvs Tatsuro Taira 🏆Van def. Taira — TKO R5
Auto-linked from KIAI's event coverage — updated as fights are decided.
Titles & honors
- UFC Flyweight Champion
Biography
Joshua Van beat Alexandre Pantoja by unanimous decision in their UFC 331 rematch on Sept 19, 2026, making the second defense of his UFC flyweight title and improving to 18-2.
Joshua Van is a trailblazing flyweight who was born in Hakha, Chin State, Myanmar, fled conflict as a refugee and built his career out of Houston, Texas. He fights with a relentless forward pace, a remarkable chin and rapidly improving all-around skills.
After a fast climb up the flyweight ladder — including a short-notice win over Brandon Royval at UFC 317 in June 2025 — Van earned a title shot at UFC 323 in December 2025. He won the belt when champion Alexandre Pantoja suffered a fight-ending arm injury just 26 seconds in. According to the UFC, winning the title at 24 years and 57 days made Van the second-youngest champion in UFC history, behind Jon Jones.
He answered any doubts about the manner of that win at UFC 328 in May 2026, stopping the dangerous Tatsuro Taira in the fifth round to make a convincing first defense and improve to 17-2.
UFC 331: the rematch goes the distance
On Sept 19, 2026 (Sept 20 JST), Van met Pantoja again in the UFC 331 main event at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. Where the first fight ended at 0:26, this one went the full five rounds, and all three judges scored it for Van — 49-46, 48-47 and 50-45 — a unanimous decision. It was his second successful title defense and took his record to 18-2 (9 KO/TKO, 2 submissions, 7 decisions).
As of Sept 23, 2026, no next fight has been officially announced.
Sources (checked Sept 23, 2026)
- UFC.com — Crypto.com UFC 331 main card results: https://www.ufc.com/news/cryptocom-ufc-331-van-vs-pantoja-2-results
- UFC.com — UFC 331 official scorecards: https://www.ufc.com/news/cryptocom-ufc-331-van-vs-pantoja-2-official-scorecards
- UFC.com — Joshua Van athlete profile (record, win-method breakdown, bio): https://www.ufc.com/athlete/joshua-van
Fight history
- WAlexandre PantojaW UD 5
- WTatsuro TairaW TKO R5
- WAlexandre PantojaW TKO R1
- WBrandon RoyvalW UD 3
FAQ
- Is Joshua Van the UFC flyweight champion?
- Yes. He won the title at UFC 323 in December 2025 and has defended it twice: against Tatsuro Taira at UFC 328 (May 2026) and against Alexandre Pantoja in their UFC 331 rematch on Sept 19, 2026.
- What is Joshua Van's record?
- He is 18-2-0 as a professional as of September 2026: 9 wins by KO/TKO, 2 by submission and 7 by decision, per his UFC.com athlete profile.
- Who won Van vs Pantoja 2 at UFC 331?
- Van, by unanimous decision (49-46, 48-47, 50-45) after five rounds at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Sept 19, 2026 (Sept 20 JST).
- How did Van win the title?
- Champion Alexandre Pantoja suffered an arm injury 26 seconds into their UFC 323 bout (TKO). Van then stopped Tatsuro Taira in round five and beat Pantoja on the scorecards in their rematch, for two defenses.
- Where is Joshua Van from?
- He was born in Hakha, Chin State, Myanmar. According to the UFC, he is the only Myanmar-born fighter in the UFC.
- When is Joshua Van's next fight?
- No next fight had been officially announced as of Sept 23, 2026. Check his UFC.com athlete page for updates.