“I Don’t Really Watch Fights”: Joshua Van Reveals Unusual Habit as UFC Flyweight Champion
The flyweight champion has revealed that he only watches fights involving his opponents and prefers to watch them alone.
MMA fighters often study fights to understand the game better and add new skills to their arsenal. However, flyweight kingpin Joshua Van takes a different approach.
The youngest active UFC champion (24) revealed that he has built his career by watching his opponents fight. He also mentioned that he doesn’t sit down with his family to watch fights.
Joshua Van Reveals Why He Doesn’t Watch Fights
In an interview, commentator Laura Sanko asked Joshua Van how he prefers to watch fights when he isn’t live in the arena. Van immediately responded, “I don’t really watch fights.”
“My mom watch more fight than me. My mom be like ‘Come down let’s watch!’ I be like ‘Nahhh.’ I be going upstairs, things like that,” Van further added.
However, while discussing his recent title defense against former champion Alexandre Pantoja, Van revealed that he watched Pantoja’s fights on his phone and alone to prepare for the matchup.
He also mentioned that he sometimes watches fights featuring bantamweight champion Petr Yan and featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski.
Van is regarded as one of the most technical and dangerous offensive fighters in the promotion. He is often praised for his boxing, which he credits to emulating former lightweight star Dustin Poirier. Despite not watching many fights, Van has continued to perform well and is now preparing for his next title defense.
UFC 336: Van vs. Kape
Joshua Van won the flyweight title against Alexandre Pantoja in 2025 after an unusual ending in which Pantoja suffered an arm injury.
However, Van proved himself as a champion by finishing Tatsuro Taira in his first title defense.
In his second defense, Van delivered a dominant performance against Pantoja in September. The fight earned Fight of the Night honors, and with the victory, Van silenced many of his critics.
Now, he is set to face one of the division’s most intriguing contenders, Manel Kape, in his third title defense. The fight will headline UFC 336, the first numbered UFC event of January 2027.
Both fighters possess explosive knockout power and excellent striking skills. As a result, the matchup promises to be an exciting contest for fans.
