Can Joshua Van Pull Off the Unthinkable?
Joshua Van was able to secure a dominant knockout win over Bruno Silva at UFC 316. In his post-fight interview, he called out the number two-ranked flyweight in the world, Brandon Moreno. Most people thought that was a massive step up in competition and a fight he was not going to be granted. However, in a wild turn of events, Manel Kape has backed out of his fight with Brandon Royval at UFC 317 with a broken foot, and Joshua Van has stepped in on two weeks' notice to take on the number one ranked flyweight in the world. Can Joshua Van use his recent momentum to carry him to an iconic and improbable upset, or will the short time and step up in competition be too much to overcome?
Brandon Royval has always had no problem fighting up the rankings to prove a point. In his last fight, he was able to beat Tatsuro Taira and end his 16-fight winning streak. Now he takes on arguably the true dark horse in the Flyweight Division, who is continuously improving. Brandon Royval has already fought for the Flyweight Championship and has been trying to get himself a rematch ever since. With a victory here, he is without question next in line for a title shot. His constant pressure and striking ability have made him an exciting and dangerous fighter. His grappling has improved drastically since his last fight against Alexandre Pantoja. He truly is a well-rounded fighter who can win everywhere the fight goes. If he is going to win this fight, he needs to mix all of the martial arts together against someone who is so predominantly boxing-heavy. If he can land some leg kicks, it could slow down the quick and elusive Van. Also, if he can grapple and use his wrestling, he will be able to dominate the position and land some real damage. The level of competition he has faced in his career will also come into play, and he will be able to drag Van into places he has yet to be tested in.
Van is coming off his biggest victory in his early career since joining the UFC in 2023. He was able to put on a masterclass in striking and was able to successfully tie it together with a knockout. He is looking to use this momentum and the high that he is on to carry him to a career-changing victory. In terms of striking, few can handle the quickness and sharpness of his boxing. He rarely throws leg kicks and grapples, so his opponents know exactly what they're going to get. He has shown good takedown defense so far in his career, and if he can keep this fight on the feet, he will have his best chance at winning. He has a quickness and power advantage over Royval, so if he can work his jab early like he did against Silva, that overhand right will be able to eventually connect and give him the upper hand and potentially the victory. Royval is extremely durable as he has only been finished twice in his entire UFC career. So Van is going to have to push the pace and pile up combinations to outstrike ‘Raw Dawg’ if he is going to pull up the upset.
This is going to be an electric fight as both fighters have always put on a show and given us nonstop action. Even if Van isn’t able to win, he can show the entire Flyweight Division that he is the real deal and is going to be a force for a long time. At 23 years old, few have gotten the type of opportunity this early in their career like Van is getting, so he is going to come into this fight fully prepared. Royval is bent on getting his third crack at Pantjoa and will not let someone use him as a stepping stone for their own goals and aspirations. Don’t forget to catch this fight and all the other action on June 28th for UFC 317.
