The flyweight division has always been full of surprises, but nobody saw this coming. Just two years ago, Joshua Van was making his UFC debut against Zhalgas Zhumagaulov in what many considered a fairly routine introduction to the octagon. The 23-year-old managed to win that fight by split decision, but it wasn’t the kind of performance that had people buzzing about a future title contender. Fast forward to today at UFC 317, and Van has just delivered one of the most impressive performances that fans have seen in the 125-pound division this year. <\/p>
His opponent at UFC 317 was no joke either. Brandon Royval has been knocking on the door of another title shot for months. The 32-year-old veteran had won five of his last six fights, with his only loss coming against current champion Alexandre Pantoja. Royval was ranked first in the division going into this fight, while Van was at 12. That kind of gap on paper made this fight look like a classic veteran versus prospect matchup, but Van had other plans entirely!<\/p>
From the opening bell, it was clear that both fighters came to put on a show. Royval pumped out his jab consistently and used kicks to control the distance. But Van showed incredible patience in those early moments, waiting for his openings rather than rushing into exchanges. When those openings came, he made them count with crisp one-two combinations that immediately got Royval’s attention. The counter-punching that Van displayed throughout the first round was absolutely beautiful to watch.<\/p>
The second round turned into an absolute war that had the crowd on their feet. Both fighters decided to throw caution to the wind and engage in lengthy combinations that targeted both the head and body. Royval tried to use his clinch work to land knees, but Van’s boxing was just too sharp and consistent. The veteran kept walking forward and throwing punches despite eating some heavy shots. Van welcomed the firefight and proved he could hang in the pocket with one of the division’s most experienced fighters.<\/p>