Overview
- Van told the JAXXON Podcast he only recognized Johnson from a ONE Championship flying-knee knockout of Adriano Moraes and said he has never watched Johnson’s fights.
- Demetrious Johnson is widely regarded as the division’s standard-bearer after 11 UFC title defenses before a 2018 move to ONE in a trade for Ben Askren, later winning that title and retiring in 2024 as a Hall of Famer.
- Van won the UFC flyweight belt in December at UFC 323 when Alexandre Pantoja suffered a freak injury during their title fight.
- Before facing Pantoja, Van called him the greatest flyweight, a stance that drew immediate comparisons to Johnson’s legacy from fans.
- Van is slated to face No. 3-ranked contender Tatsuro Taira in his first defense at UFC 327 on April 11.