UFC flyweight champion Joshua Van to defend title vs Manel Kape in Toronto
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The gist
UFC flyweight champion Joshua Van will defend his title for a third time against Manel Kape at UFC 336 in Toronto on Jan. 30.
Kape arrives on a five-fight finish streak, making this Van's toughest test yet.
Background
Joshua Van is the UFC flyweight champion from Myanmar, 25 years old, with an 18-2 MMA record and 11-1 in the UFC. He signed with the UFC as the Fury FC champion and has only been in the promotion about three and a half years. Van took the belt after then-champion Alexandre Pantoja suffered a freak injury seconds into their fight, defended it against Tatsuro Taira, then beat Pantoja again by unanimous decision in the rematch at UFC 331. Manel Kape, the No. 1 contender, has been a constant contender since arriving in the UFC and is on a five-fight win streak with finishes in each, most recently knocking out Kyoji Horiguchi.
How it unfolded
- 2021Joshua Van made his professional mixed martial arts debut.
- 2023Van made his UFC promotional debut.
- 2024Van ended the year with two more wins in the division after a late finish loss to Charles Johnson.
- 2025Van beat Rei Tsuruya and Bruno Silva, then accepted a short-notice fight against top contender Brandon Royval three weeks later and won by unanimous decision.
- May 9, 2026Van defended the flyweight title by TKO5 over Tatsuro Taira.
- Sep 19, 2026Van beat Alexandre Pantoja by unanimous decision in their rematch at UFC 331.
- Oct 20, 2026ESPN rankings list Van No. 1 at flyweight (18-2), with Pantoja No. 2 and Kape No. 3.
- Oct 24, 2026Van vs. Manel Kape was announced during the UFC 333 broadcast for UFC 336 on Jan. 30 at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, with Carlos Prates vs. Michael Morales for the interim welterweight title as co-main event.
Who’s saying what
- Official
- The UFC announced Van vs. Kape as the UFC 336 main event for Jan. 30 at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, with Prates vs. Morales for the interim welterweight title as co-main.
- Contender
- Ramazan Temirov, a UFC flyweight contender, said Van "is a guy who likes to strike on the feet" and that he is eager to enter the title conversation himself.
Still unverified
Oddsmakers reportedly have champion Van penciled in as the betting underdog for his third title defense against Kape. Some reports described a Van-Kape fight as "likely" and expected in early 2027, while the UFC 336 announcement sets it for Jan. 30.