UFC Denver is rolling with non-stop action as we’re back for another betting prediction and pick for this next bout taking place in the Flyweight (125) Division. Two exciting talents will hit the cage as Houston’s Joshua Van looks to remain unbeaten as he takes on Charles Johnson of St. Louis. Check out our UFC odds series for our Van-Johnson prediction and pick.

Joshua Van (10-1) has gone a perfect 3-0 in the UFC thus far after two decision wins and a TKO stoppage in his most recent bout. At just 22 years old, he’s already making huge waves and despite his lack of activity during 2024, he’ll be excited to get back in there against another worthy opponent standing in his way. Van stands 5’5″ with a 65-inch reach.

Charles Johnson (15-6) has gone an even 4-4 since joining the UFC roster in 2022. Despite suffering a recent three-fight skid where he lost all decisions, Johnson bounced back an won his last two fights against Azat Maksum and Jake Hadley, both by unanimous decision. Now, he’ll face another young prospect looking to make a name off his hard work. Johnson stands 5’9″ with a 70-inch reach.

Here are the UFC Denver Odds, courtesy of BetOnline. 

UFC Denver Odds: Joshua Van-Charles Johnson Odds

Joshua Van: -210

Charles Johnson: +180

Over 2.5 rounds: -340

Under 2.5 rounds: +265

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Why Joshua Van Will Win

Joshua Van has been nothing short of impressive throughout his first three UFC bouts and it’s hard to believe he’s just 22 years old given his range of skills in the cage. He’s extremely explosive with his movements and packs a huge punch for this division. He’s a tremendous athlete and can scramble his way out of wrestling exchanges, something he’ll have to do throughout this fight if Johnson works his usual style. He’s had some time to rest and put in a long training camp, so it’ll be exciting to see how much he’s evolved with his game and what new wrinkles he can show against a veteran fighter like Johnson.

Joshua Van has looked more consistent with each bout and he’s gone from a wild style to a more methodical approach to his fighting. He’s much more selective in when he chooses to explode and his defense has gotten much better since his arrival to the UFC. His opponent has had previous troubles with output and failing to finish fights, so Van could benefit most from being first in the exchanges and acting as the aggressor during this fight.

Why Charles Johnson Will Win

After losing his footing for a short stretch of three close decision losses, Charles Johnson bounced back nicely with two consecutive unanimous decision wins. The biggest knock on Johnson has been his inability to finish fights when he’s clearly leading, but he has the cardio and output to cruise to decision victories. Still, he’d like to showcase his abilities and find just the second finish in his UFC career as seven of his eight total fights have gone to decision. Johnson has much more time in the sport and he’s faced young, talented prospects like his opponent on Saturday.

The biggest focus here for Charles Johnson will be sustaining his striking output and not letting Van get the better of him in the wrestling exchanges. Johnson is a seasoned jiu jitsu practitioner and he should be able to deter Van from tying up on the ground with him. Ultimately, Van will be landing the harder punches and it’ll be on Johnson to create enough output and landed punches to deter the judges from seeing it Van’s way. His confidence should be high after two big wins and we have yet to see the best version of Charles Johnson.

Final Joshua Van-Charles Johnson Prediction & Pick

This is an extremely fun Prelim and the UFC matchmakers knew exactly what they were doing with this one. Charles Johnson has been a very solid addition to the roster thus far, but he’s still looking for a signature win or a big finish that could really put him on the map. Joshua Van is the perfect opponent as he’ll force Johnson to engage in a scrap and we should see some high-level exchanges between these two.

With his height and reach, Charles Johnson has all the tools needed to control this distance and keep Van at the end of his punches. However, we’ve seen his striking output waver in the past and he’s had too many inconsistencies in his activity from fight to fight. Joshua Van, on the other hand, has seen nothing but success and has watched his wild style pay off. Look for him to be the more eager to engage in a scrap.

For our final prediction, we’re going to roll with Joshua Van to get the win. Charles Johnson struggled against active strikers like Ode Osbourne and Cody Durden, so he may have issues off his back foot against the advancing Joshua Van. Still, this will be a great fight and both men will turn in exciting performances.

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Final Joshua Van-Charles Johnson Prediction & Pick: Joshua Van (-210)