Fans are asking how good is Charles Johnson following Joshua Van’s win at UFC 317.
The UFC flyweight division has a new #1 contender and his name is Joshua Van. The 23-year-old fighter from Houston, by way of Myanmar, became the next title challenger overnight with a ‘fight of the year’ worthy win against Brandon Royval at UFC 317.
Van dropped the #1-ranked Royval late in the fight and got his hand raised in a gritty unanimous decision.
On Thursday, UFC CEO Dana White confirmed the winner of the matchup would be fighting for Alexandre Pantoja’s UFC title. Following his win over Royval, Van had the opportunity to face off with the champ Pantoja in what should be a flyweight fight for the ages.
Van has an impressive 8-1 record in the UFC, with his sole loss coming to Charles Johnson, who had a lot to say after the all-time fight.
‘I’m better’ … Charles Johnson comments on Joshua Van’s biggest win of his career
A little less than a year ago, in July 2024, Johnson became the first fighter to knock out ‘The Fearless’ Van.
It was a competitive fight across three rounds for Johnson and Van, the two most active flyweights in the UFC today. However, Johnson’s experience would ultimately come out on top as the UFC veteran blitzed Van with punches in the third round for the TKO stoppage.
Once ranked in the top 15, Johnson is 4-1 in his last five fights (4-0 in 2024) and the new #1 contender Van is 5-0 since losing to Johnson at UFC Denver last year.
“There has never been a better time to ask HOW GOOD IS INNER G? What an amazing aged win,” one fan wrote of Johnson’s TKO over Van.
Johnson congratulated his former foes Royval and Van on a ‘great fight’ at UFC 317, saying he still sees openings in Van’s game.
“I don’t,” Johnson said on X, when asked if he thinks Van has made any improvements after their fight.
“I see same openings and can’t wait to show again the same way as the last! I have better cardio and boxing defense than Brandon. Great fight tho.”
“I’m better. Matchups make fights,” Johnson responded to a fan perplexed as to how he beat Van.
“He gets hit a lot and I hit hard,” Johnson said of Van.
“I’m #1,” Johnson wrote on X.
“To compare Royval to me, striking is different. I’m so much better now defensively and switch stance. It just gives me motivation to win the next tough one and ask for something great,” Johnson added.
Joshua Van has the opportunity to become the UFC’s second-youngest champion
Van was just short of breaking Jon Jones’ record as the youngest champion in UFC history.
Van arrived at his billed title eliminator against Royval on short notice, a few weeks after picking up a TKO win over Bruno Silva at UFC 316.
Had Van won the flyweight title early this month, the 23-year-old would have been the youngest champion in UFC history.
Van will become the first fighter born in the 2000s to challenge for a UFC title when he meets Alexandre Pantoja. The newly-minted top contender has the chance to become the second-youngest champion in UFC history, should he capture the title by the end of 2025.
Jose Aldo is currently the second-youngest champion in the UFC record books, touching UFC gold at 24 years and two months. Van turns 24 in October.