7 December 2025 – Joshua “The Fearless” Van has captured the UFC Flyweight Championship, dethroning the long-reigning champion Alexandre Pantoja in a thrilling bout held today.
The 24-year-old Chin American fighter secured the victory against his highly skilled opponent in a pivotal moment early in the fight, which saw him capitalize after Pantoja stumbled.
Pantoja, a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist, entered the octagon having successfully defended the UFC Flyweight Championship four consecutive times.
Van’s win makes him the first Burmese fighter to ever claim a UFC championship.
Yesterday, the official UFC Facebook account highlighted Joshua Van’s achievement as the youngest fighter in UFC history to land 1,000 significant strikes. He reached this milestone at the age of 23 years and 267 days.
Born Joshua Van Bawi Thawng on 10 October 2001, in Hakha, Chin State, he and his family relocated to Malaysia at the age of ten before settling in the US in 2013.
The Chin mixed martial artist made his professional MMA debut in 2021.#
