Joshua Van plots ambitious path that includes becoming first UFC champ from Myanmar
LAS VEGAS – Joshua Van beat Felipe Bunes with a second-round TKO Saturday to open up the preliminary card at UFC Fight Night 234 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
Take a look inside the fight with Van, who won for the eighth straight time and got his first finish in the UFC.
Felipe Bunes vs. Joshua Van
Result: Joshua Van def. Felipe Bunes via TKO (strikes) – Round 2, 4:31
Updated records: Van (10-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC), Bunes (13-7 MMA, 0-1 UFC) (TKO2)
Key stats: Van outstruck Bunes 154-57.
Van on the fight's key moment
“We knew he was going to come with a knee a lot, so if I go to the body, I’ll get the knee in the face. Every fight is different. I can’t just go in there and look for the body shot and stuff like that. So that was the game plan – to fake him out and stuff like that.”
Van on his first UFC finish
“My team, this whole past two weeks, they’ve been talking mess about me not getting the finish. They call me a decision fighter, so I have to prove a point – get it finished this fight. He’s got a long reach, and I was trying to find a way to get in. In the second round, it was a lot easier.”
Van on what he wants next
“I want to fight next week. Let’s go. (Texas in 2024) would be ideal – San Antonio, Austin, Houston … Houston would be the best. I hope I get to fight in Texas. … I want to be in the top 15, top five, or maybe even for a title contender (by the end of the year). … I want to be the first Myanmar UFC champion.”
To hear more from Van, check out the video of the full post-fight interview above.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 234.
