Van has been approaching his UFC career like a flyweight Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone, logging six appearances in the last 18 months, forcing his way in to the rankings in the process and cementing his standing as one of the top emerging names in a division that feels primed for change in 2025.Do not be surprised […]
Van has been approaching his UFC career like a flyweight Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone, logging six appearances in the last 18 months, forcing his way in to the rankings in the process and cementing his standing as one of the top emerging names in a division that feels primed for change in 2025.Do not be surprised if “The Fearless” becomes a Top 5 fixture in the not-too-distant future.
After logging a pair of appearances in 2023, Van made four trips into the Octagon in 2024, opening with a come-from-behind second-round stoppage win over Felipe Bunes on the first card of the year, ending the fight with a brutal body shot. He returned in July, suffering a knockout loss to Charles Johnson in a fight he was winning, then posted consecutive victories over Edgar Chairez and Cody Durden to close out an outstanding campaign.
And that’s the piece that makes Van such a compelling figure in the flyweight ranks: he’s hyper-athletic, has a strong foundation, and tons of room to grow given that he’s still pretty young. As good as he’s looked thus far — and there have been real flashes of brilliance — imagine what he’ll look like this time next year, when he’s logged another two or three fights against ranked opponents and other skilled competitors?
Already 5-1 in the UFC and 12-2 overall, the native of Myanmar, who lives and trains in Houston, Texas, only turned 23 in October, and has only been fighting professionally for just over three years. He famously said heading into his first couple UFC appearances that he had never really wrestled before, but he showed in his bout with Durden that he’s been working on it diligently, as his takedown defense was largely solid.
