Joshua Van may be UFC flyweight champ, but he sounds like a TUF noob when discussing the history of the 125-pound division. That’s because the “Fearless” flyweight titleholder recently revealed his ignorance when it came to the GOAT-worthy accomplishments of Demetrious Johnson, one of the finest MMA fighters in history.
To be fair, the 24 year-old Van was only 16 when Johnson fought his last UFC fight and was probably focused on his junior prom or getting his learner’s permit,
typical 16 year-old stuff. But at this point, you would think Van would have some familiarity with the legacy “Mighty Mouse” left behind in the wake of his historic “trade” back in late 2018.
“I swear to God I didn’t know he was in the UFC,” Van said of Johnson on the JAXXON Podcast (transcribed by MMA Junkie) “I saw him fight in ONE Championship, and I remember his highlight was everywhere when he knocked out (Adriano Moraes) with the flying knee. I guess it was like his revenge or something because the guy knocked him out. That video, I see a lot. Now I know him, but I’ve never watched his fights.”
He missed some truly spectacular (and record-breaking) moments.
The 39 year-old Johnson (25-4-1) retired from MMA after completing his ONE Championship trilogy with Moraes and is often mentioned alongside former UFC two-division champion Jon Jones as one of the all-time greats. As for Van (16-2), he’s set to defend the flyweight crown opposite No. 3-ranked Tatsuro Taira atop the UFC 327 event on April 11 in Miami.
