Joshua Van

Van was born in Hakha, the capital of Chin State in western Myanmar. He grew up in a mountainous region with five siblings. Facing regional political unrest and military conflict, his family left Myanmar when he was ten years old. They spent two years in Malaysia as refugees before resettling in Houston, Texas, in 2013.

Adapting to life in Texas presented immediate challenges. Van faced language barriers and entered school as an undersized newcomer. He discovered combat sports through internet videos and teenage brawling rather than formal training. After graduating high school, he joined 4oz Fight Club in Houston under coach Daniel Pineda. His father died in 2017. Van remained in Houston to live with his mother as his career began.

His faith plays a central role in his daily routine. A practicing Christian, Van originally considered becoming a preacher before pursuing mixed martial arts. He chose his fighting alias, "The Fearless," from the television series The Last Kingdom. He also maintains a training-camp habit of eating McDonald's breakfast every morning.

Van turned professional in October 2021 after an undefeated amateur run. He competed exclusively for the Texas-based Fury Fighting Championship, where he compiled a 7-1 record. In December 2022, he headlined Fury FC 72 and captured the promotion's flyweight title by submitting Cleveland McLean with a second-round rear-naked choke.

His Fury FC run caught the attention of UFC matchmakers. Originally booked for Dana White's Contender Series in mid-2023, Van was pulled from the audition when a short-notice opening appeared on a main card. He made his promotional debut on June 24, 2023, against Zhalgas Zhumagulov at UFC on ABC 5. Van took a split decision. The victory made him the first fighter from Myanmar to compete and win inside the Octagon.

Van stayed active over the following months. He secured a unanimous decision over Kevin Borjas at UFC 295, followed by a second-round technical knockout of Felipe Bunes in January 2024.

A string of bout cancellations disrupted Van's momentum in early 2024. When he returned to the cage in July 2024 against Charles Johnson, he suffered his first UFC loss via third-round knockout. The defeat forced adjustments.

He responded with four consecutive victories. Van scored back-to-back decision wins over Edgar Chairez and Cody Durden, then defeated Rei Tsuruya at UFC 313 in March 2025. Three months later, he stopped Bruno Silva by technical knockout in the third round at UFC 316.

Just three weeks after beating Silva, Van took a short-notice assignment against top contender Brandon Royval at UFC 317. The two fighters combined for 419 significant strikes across three rounds. That output set a UFC record for a three-round bout. Van earned a unanimous decision and his first Fight of the Night bonus, along with several media awards for fight of the year.

Van challenged Alexandre Pantoja for the UFC Flyweight Championship on December 6, 2025, at UFC 323 in Las Vegas. The bout ended abruptly. Just 26 seconds into the first round, Van caught a kick, and Pantoja suffered a severe arm injury as he fell to the mat. The technical knockout victory earned Van the belt.

At 24 years and 57 days old, Van became the second-youngest champion in UFC history, trailing only Jon Jones. He also stood as the promotion's second Asian-born male champion. Despite the win, critics questioned the unusual nature of the finish.

Van made his first title defense against Tatsuro Taira at UFC 328 in May 2026. After recovering from a knee injury that postponed the initial April date, Van survived early ground attacks from Taira. He took control on the feet and finished Taira with strikes to the body in the fifth round. The performance earned both competitors a $100,000 Fight of the Night bonus.