Van's power and timing proved the difference. In Round 1, he out-timed Royval in the exchanges and appeared to land the more effective shots. Although Rovval came on strong in Round 3, Van dug deeped and out-dogged "Raw Dawg.

Ilia Topuria at lightweight and Joshua Van at men's flyweight represent welcomed excitement at the top of those divisions.

In the main event of UFC 317, the vacant lightweight title is on the line. Former featherweight champion Ilia Topuria (16-0) officially makes […]

Minutes after his UFC 317 win over Kai Kara-France, Pantoja (30-5 MMA, 14-3 UFC) was quite literally faced with his next opponent. Into the cage at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas walked Joshua Van, who defeated Brandon Royval in a thrilling title eliminator just one fight prior.

At just 23 years old, Joshua Van has accomplished what most fighters spend a lifetime chasing. In a fight already being hailed by fans and UFC commentator Joe Rogan as a potential “fight of the year,” Van outlasted the seasoned Royval in a three-round war that showcased his volume,

It’s just not in Brandon Royval’s nature to back down from a challenge. Originally scheduled to face Manel Kape on the card, Royval took a big risk accepting the fight against a much lower ranked opponent like Van but he acknowledged that’s just how he’s built.