Fans ask how good Charles Johnson is after the victory of Joshua van op UFC 317.
The UFC Flyweight Division has a new #1 candidate and his name is Joshua van. The 23-year-old Jager from Houston, via Myanmar, became the next title publisher at night with a 'Fight of the Year' victory against Brandon Royval on UFC 317.
Van let the #1 ranking order Royval fall in the fight and got his hand lifted in a sandy unanimous decision.
On Thursday, UFC CEO Dana White confirmed that the winner of the matchup would fight for the UFC title of Alexandre Pantoja. After his victory over Royval, the opportunity to face the champion Pantoja had the opportunity to be in what a flying weight for the centuries should be.
Van has an impressive 8-1 record in the UFC, with his only loss to Charles Johnson, who had a lot to say after the fight of all time.
Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC via Getty images
'I am better' … Charles Johnson commented on Joshua's biggest victory in his career
A little less than a year ago, in July 2024, Johnson became the first hunter to eliminate 'The Fearless' van.
It was a competitive fight over three rounds for Johnson and Van, the two most active flight weights in the UFC today. However, Johnson's experience would eventually be at the top if the UFC veteran Blitzed van with punches in the third round for the TKO interruption.
Once ranked in the top 15, Johnson is 4-1 in his last five fights (4-0 in 2024) and the new #1-community of IS 5-0 since he lost Johnson at UFC Denver last year.
“There has never been a better time to ask how good inner G is? What a great old victory,” wrote a fan about Johnson's Tko about Van.
Johnson congratulated his former enemies Royval and with a 'great fight' on UFC 317 and said he still sees openings in the game of Van.
“Not me,” Johnson said on X, when he was asked if he thinks that after their fight, improvements made improvements.
“I see the same openings and can't wait to show again in the same way as the previous one! I have a better cardio and boxing division than Brandon. Great fight.”
“I'm better. Matchups make fights,” Johnson responded to a fan confused about how he defeated.
“He is hit a lot and I hit hard,” Johnson said.
“I am #1,” Johnson wrote on X.
“To compare Royval with me, it is strikingly different. I am now so much better defensive and alternating posture. It just gives me motivation to win the next difficult and to ask something great,” Johnson added.
Joshua van has the opportunity to become the second youngest champion of the UFC
Van was just a shortage of the record of Jon Jones as the youngest champion in the UFC history.
From his invoiced title -eliminator against Royval arrived in the short term, a few weeks after gaining a TKO victory on Bruno Silva on UFC 316.
If from the beginning of this month the flight weight title had won, the 23-year-old would have been the youngest champion in UFC history.
Van is born the first hunter in the 2000s who challenge a UFC title when he meets Alexandre Pantoja. The newly printed top candidate has the chance to become the second-year-old champion in the UFC history, he was allowed to conquer the title by the end of 2025.
Jose Aldo is currently the second-year-old champion in the UFC record books and touches UFC Gold after 24 years and two months. Van will be 24 hours in October.