Two years ago at UFC on ESPN 59, Charles Johnson stopped Joshua Van with a devastating right uppercut at the start of the third round of their bantamweight contest. The knockout remains the only UFC defeat on Van's record.
Two years ago at UFC on ESPN 59, Charles Johnson delivered a stunning right uppercut to stop Joshua Van at the start of the third round, ending their bantamweight contest in dramatic fashion and handing Van the only UFC loss of his career.
Van, nicknamed "The Fearless," has since risen to become flyweight champion at just 24 years old, representing Myanmar out of 4oz. Fight Club. Carrying a current record of 17-2-0, he is one of the most prolific strikers in the division, landing an extraordinary 8.84 significant strikes per minute at a 56 percent accuracy rate. Standing five-foot-five with a 65-inch reach, he fights from an orthodox stance and has built his reputation almost entirely on his striking, averaging less than one takedown per 15 minutes and recording no submission attempts.
Johnson, fighting out of Murcielago MMA in the United States, holds a record of 19-9-0 and brings considerable experience to every outing at 35 years old. The switch-stance fighter stands five-foot-nine with a 70-inch reach and lands 4.77 significant strikes per minute at 49 percent accuracy. He also adds a modest ground dimension, averaging 0.3 submission attempts per 15 minutes.
Why it matters
- The knockout represents a notable blemish in Van's otherwise dominant UFC run, now overshadowed by his flyweight title reign.
- Van's rise from that defeat to champion status underscores how quickly trajectories can change in the flyweight and bantamweight divisions.
- The size and reach advantages Johnson held over Van on that night — four inches in height and five inches in reach — made the uppercut finish all the more striking as an example of smaller fighters absorbing and surviving power.
