UFC Vegas 84 kicked off the new year at the UFC Apex with a fantastic fight card. The first fight up on the prelims was a fight in the men's flyweight division between Joshua Van and promotional newcomer Felipe Bunes. Things were back-and-forth in the beginning until Van took over getting the emphatic finish in round two.
JOSHUA VAN GETS THE FINISH IN THE FIRST FIGHT OF 2024! 🔥
3-0 in the UFC. 22 years old.#UFCVegas84
— MMA Orbit (@mma_orbit) January 13, 2024
As in most of Joshua Van's fights, he dropped the first round after Bunes was able to maintain his distance and utilize his long-range attacks. Then Bunes was able to score a much-needed takedown at the end of round one to solidify the round. Once the second round began that is when Van turned it up a notch.
Article Continues BelowIn the second round, Van started throwing caution to the win and letting his hands go. As he was backing Bunes up against the cage he was throwing deadly combinations to the head and to the body that eventually broke down Bunes. Van just kept the pressure on throughout the entirety of the second round until Bunes couldn't take any more as he crumbled to the mat. After a flurry of ground strikes referee Mark Smith stepped in and called the fight.
This was Joshua Van's third victory in the UFC in as many fights and is looking like the real deal in the UFC's flyweight division. Van is a fighter that loves to stay busy as he took two of his three fights in the UFC on short notice and this was his third fight in just seven months. In his post-fight interview in the octagon with Michael Bisping, Van told him that he wants to stay busy and fight 4-6 times this year even calling to fight next week at UFC 297.
Joshua Van is a breath of fresh air in the men's flyweight division and will be a contender to look out for years to come. There are many more exciting fights to go for UFC Vegas 84, so sit back and watch it all unfold live on ESPN+.