Bold truth: Joshua Van’s path to Demetrious Johnson is a story of late discovery and surprising turns. And this is the part most people miss about how legends shape new stars.
Joshua Van, the 24-year-old UFC flyweight champion, recounts a delayed introduction to Demetrious Johnson. Johnson, widely acclaimed as the greatest 125-pound fighter of all time, defended his UFC flyweight title a record 11 times from 2013 to 2017. Van didn’t hear about him until after he became a ONE Championship fighter in 2019. By then, Johnson had already completed his UFC chapter; Van was just 16 years old when Johnson’s UFC tenure ended.
Johnson’s credentials are almost universally acknowledged: a 27-3-1 MMA record with a 15-2-1 mark in the UFC. Yet Van didn’t become a fan early. He says he only started watching UFC fights after 2017, which leads him to view Alexandre Pantoja as the flyweight GOAT for now. He even described his astonishment on the JAXXON Podcast, admitting, “I swear to God I didn’t know he was in the UFC.” He first noticed Johnson during Johnson’s ONE Championship era, where a widely shared highlight showed Johnson knocking out Adriano Moraes with a flying knee—memorable enough to feel like revenge for Moraes’ knockout of Johnson earlier in their rivalry. That video circulated frequently, reinforcing Van’s impression of Johnson from outside UFC screens. Still, Van says he’s never watched Johnson’s UFC fights, even though the grappler–striker’s legend looms large in the sport’s history.
Van eventually rose to UFC prominence by winning the title in a somewhat unconventional fashion, defeating Alexandre Pantoja by injury-induced TKO at UFC 323 in December. Looking ahead, Van is preparing for his first title defense against Tatsuro Taira (18-1 MMA, 8-1 UFC) at UFC 327 on April 11, set to take place at the Kaseya Center in Miami.
In sum, Van’s ascent connects with Johnson’s enduring influence: a bridge between generations where a future champion discovers a living legend only after the fact, then moves forward with his own legacy in view.”}
