Last Updated on February 25, 2026 by Pragjyoti Singh
UFC flyweight champ Joshua Van left fans stunned during a podcast after claiming he didn’t know Demetrious Johnson fought in the UFC.
‘Mighty Mouse’ who many consider to be one of the MMA GOATs, holds the record for the most consecutive title defenses in the promotion as well as the longest win streak in the flyweight division, over where Van is currently champion.
Van’s comments during the Jaxxon Podcast with Michael Bisping drew a startling reaction from the former middleweight champion too.
Joshua Van reveals surprising lack of knowledge about Demetrious Johnson’s UFC legacy
On a recent episode of the Jaxxon Podcast, Joshua Van caught listeners off guard by admitting he was unaware that the legendary Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson ever competed in the UFC. During his conversation with Michael Bisping and Bear Degidio, the 24-year-old’s admission of his ignorance left Bisping visibly startled, as the Hall of Famer struggled to process how the current flyweight champ could be unfamiliar with the division’s greatest pioneer.
Van, ranked as one the premier strikers in the UFC, alongside the likes of Ilia Topuria, Max Holloway, and Alex Pereira, Van also holds a unique place in the history books as the first champion in the promotion’s history to be born after the year 2000.
This may explain the startling gap in his MMA knowledge regarding the Demetrious Johnson era. Having grown up in a different era of the sport, Van’s admission suggests that for the newest generation of elite fighters, the legends of the 2010s are already becoming historical figures rather than contemporaries, a compelling reminder of just how quickly the sport evolves.
During the episode, podcast host Bear Degidio recalled a revealing exchange between Van and Daniel Cormier, where the young flyweight selected Alexandre Pantoja as his divisional GOAT over Demetrious Johnson.
“He was talking about the greatest flyweight champion of all time,” Degidio noted. “He said Pantoja, you said Pantoja, and then you guys forgot about our guy Mighty Mouse. And you were like, ‘Who’s that? Who’s mighty mouse?'”
Bisping, visibly stunned by the admission, asked Van if it was all part of an act. “You must have been just talking sh-t,” the former middleweight champion told him.
However, the 24-year-old insisted his lack of historical knowledge was genuine. “I swear to God, I didn’t know he was in the UFC,” Van replied, confessing he only recognized Johnson from his later career success in Asia. “I saw his highlights. I saw him fight in ONE championship. I remember his highlight was everywhere when he knock out the guy with flying knee,” he continued, referring to Johnson’s victory over Adriano Moraes.
Ultimately, it’s a hilarious reality check for the MMA old guard. While Bisping was in total disbelief, Van proved that being a world-class champion doesn’t require a history degree. He’s too busy making history as the first 21st-century titleholder to worry about the archives, even if it means the division’s greatest legend is just another highlight reel to him.
Joshua Van set to defend Flyweight title against Tatsuro Taira at UFC 327
The flyweight division is officially moving on from the “Pantoja Era,” at least for now. Joshua Van is set to make his first title defense against the dangerous Tatsuro Taira at UFC 327 on April 11. The event will take place at the Kaseya Center in Miami, marking a massive return to Florida for the promotion.
This matchup is particularly significant as it represents the first-ever men’s title fight in UFC history between two fighters of Asian descent. Van, the first Myanmar-born champion, will look to prove his championship status isn’t just a fluke following his bizarre, 26-second injury-TKO win over Alexandre Pantoja back in December.
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