UFC 310 winner Joshua Van wants Myanmar flag approved for next fight

Joshua Van hopes he can represent Myanmar in the octagon for his next fight after a big win at UFC 310.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Joshua Van[/autotag] isn’t asking for a specific opponent or date for his next fight at UFC 310. He just wants to represent his country.

Following his unanimous decision win over Cody Durden (17-7-1 MMA, 6-5-1 UFC) in their flyweight bout this past Saturday at T-Mobile Arena, Van (12-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC) declared his hopes for the UFC to finally get his Myanmar flag approved, which is something he’s wanted since making his promotional debut.

“No, it’s not the UFC – some member has to approve it,” Van told MMA Junkie and other reporters post-fight at UFC 310. “But they had to approve my flag that it is a country, so Myanmar is a country. So I really want to carry my flag inside the octagon, so we’re just waiting for them to confirm it. We’ve been trying to get my flag (approved) ever since I got to the UFC, so hopefully by my next fight I get to carry my own flag.”

At 23, Van is arguably the brightest prospect in the 125-pound division. He’s scored back-to-back wins after experiencing his lone octagon blemish against Charles Johnson in July, and he hopes to continue rising up the ranks after beating Durden.

“The top 10 or the top five will do me right.” Van said.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 310.

UFC 310 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: 2024 total passes $8 million

The UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program has now paid out more than $8 million to athletes in 2024 under the Venum deal.

LAS VEGAS – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 310 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $368,500.

The program, a comprehensive plan that includes outfitting requirements, media obligations and other items under the fighter code of conduct, replaces the previous payments made under the UFC Athlete Outfitting Policy.

UFC 310 took place at T-Mobile Arena. The main card aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN2 and ESPN+.

The full UFC 310 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Alexandre Pantoja[/autotag]: $42,000
def. [autotag]Kai Asakura[/autotag]: $32,000

[autotag]Shavkat Rakhmonov[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Ian Machado Garry[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Ciryl Gane[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Alexander Volkov[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]Bryce Mitchell[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Kron Gracie[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Dooho Choi[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Nate Landwehr[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Dominick Reyes[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Anthony Smith[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Vicente Luque[/autotag]: $21,000
def. [autotag]Themba Gorimbo[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Movsar Evloev[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Aljamain Sterling[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Bryan Battle[/autotag]: $6,000
[autotag]Randy Brown[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]Eryk Anders[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Chris Weidman[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]Joshua Van[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Cody Durden[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Michael Chiesa[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Max Griffin[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]Chase Hooper[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Clay Guida[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Kennedy Nzechukwu[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Lukasz Brzeski[/autotag]: $6,000

Under the UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program’s payout tiers, which appropriate the money generated by Venum’s multi-year sponsorship with the UFC, fighters are paid based on their total number of UFC bouts, as well as Zuffa-era WEC fights (January 2007 and later) and Zuffa-era Strikeforce bouts (April 2011 and later). Fighters with 1-3 bouts receive $4,000 per appearance; 4-5 bouts get $4,500; 6-10 bouts get $6,000; 11-15 bouts earn $11,000; 16-20 bouts pocket $16,000; and 21 bouts and more get $21,000. Additionally, champions earn $42,000 while title challengers get $32,000.

In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-30 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.

Full 2024 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $8,072,000
2023 total: $8,188,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $30,809,000

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 310.

MMA Junkie Radio #3519: 2024 PFL Championship recap, Joshua Van interview, more

Check out the latest episode of MMA Junkie Radio with “Gorgeous” George and “Goze.”

Monday’s episode of MMA Junkie Radio with “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” is here.

On Episode 3,519, the fellas recap the 2024 PFL Championship event where a new crop of tournament winners grabbed $1 million checks. They also welcome in UFC flyweight [autotag]Joshua Van[/autotag], who competes this weekend at UFC 310 in Las Vegas. Tune in!

Joshua Van expects UFC 310 fight with Cody Durden to be ‘a straight-up banger’

Joshua Van has been in some bangers since making his UFC debut in June of 2023, and he expects to be entrenched in another one this weekend.

[autotag]Joshua Van[/autotag] has been involved in some bangers since making his UFC debut in June of 2023, and he expects to be entrenched in another one this weekend.

Van, 23, meets Cody Durden in a flyweight bout Saturday at UFC 310 from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Van (11-2 MMA, 4-1 UFC) knows the type of challenge that’s in front of him.

“He’s a tough guy. He’s a very, very tough guy,” Van told MMA Junkie Radio. “Skill wise, he’s not all that, but he’s got heart. He’ll come forward, and I’ll come forward, so this fight is gonna be a straight-up banger.”

Four of Van’s five UFC fights have reached the third round, which hasn’t exactly been the plan, but he welcomes it.

“The goal is to knock them out as fast as possible,” Van said. “We don’t get paid for overtime, but I’m excited to be in those types of fights, too. Those types of fights is what’s hyping me up for camp and everything.”

Van said after this fight to end 2024, he’s already looking ahead and wanting to be as active as possible in 2025. Given his ambitious plan, it would behoove Van to be on the winning end of a first-round finish against Durden.

“Next year is gonna be the takeover, you know what I mean?” Van said. “If it goes as planned, I want to stay active at least five fights to six. That would be crazy. That would be amazing. I just want to stay active next year.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 310.

Joshua Van calls out Cody Durden after win over Edgar Chairez at UFC 306

Joshua Van got back in the win column just two months after his first UFC loss.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Joshua Van[/autotag] beat Edgar Chairez with a unanimous decision Saturday on the preliminary card at UFC 306 at Sphere in Las Vegas.

Take a look inside the fight with Van, who stepped up when Kevin Borjas pulled out and got back in the win column just two months after his first UFC loss.

Joshua Van def. Edgar Chairez

Sep 14, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Edgar Chairez of Mexico (red gloves) fights Joshua Van of the United States (blue gloves) during Riyadh Season Noche UFC 306 at The Sphere. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

Result: Joshua Van def. Edgar Chairez via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Updated records: Van (11-2 MMA, 4-1 UFC), Chairez (11-6 MMA, 1-2 UFC)
Key stats: Van landed 183 total strikes in the fight and had three takedowns.

Van on the fight’s key moment

Sep 14, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Edgar Chairez of Mexico (red gloves) fights Joshua Van of the United States (blue gloves) during Riyadh Season Noche UFC 306 at The Sphere. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

“That motherf*cker is tough, man. And the thing is, he’s got a long-ass arm. So even though I pulled back a little bit, his arm was still reaching me. It was a little new to me, fighting someone as long as him. But he was tough. That’s all I can say: He was a tough motherf*cker.

“… The second round, I hurt him. But Mexicans are tough. He won’t give up. Watching all his fights – I did my little homework this time around – he didn’t like the body shots. That’s why we tried to go down to the body.”

Van on the short notice fight

“I was at the bar taking a shot when I got the call for this. I thought I was going to be taking a break for two months or so. I was enjoying my best life. The call came, two weeks’ notice, and we took the fight. This week was a good experience for me. I loved every single moment.”

Van on what he wants next

Cody Durden

“I want to fight that boy Cody Durden. I want to fight that boy. If not, I was from Myanmar, but I was raised by this Mexican and we hate lazy people. I don’t like that ‘Lazyboy,’ (Ronaldo Rodriguez). So we can run it.”

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 306.

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UFC 306 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: O’Malley, Grasso net $42,000 for entering as champs

Sean O’Malley and Alexa Grasso got the biggest checks from the Promotional Guidelines Compliance program fro UFC 306, which paid $239,500.

LAS VEGAS – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 306 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $239,500.

The program, a comprehensive plan that includes outfitting requirements, media obligations and other items under the fighter code of conduct, replaces the previous payments made under the UFC Athlete Outfitting Policy.

UFC 306 took place at Sphere. The main card aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPNews and ESPN+.

The full UFC 306 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Merab Dvalishvili[/autotag]: $32,000
def. [autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag]: $42,000

[autotag]Valentina Shevchenko[/autotag]: $32,000
def. [autotag]Alexa Grasso[/autotag]: $42,000

[autotag]Diego Lopes[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Brian Ortega[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Esteban Ribovics[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Daniel Zellhuber[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Ronaldo Rodriguez[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Ode Osbourne[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Norma Dumont[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Irene Aldana[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Ignacio Bahamondes[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Manuel Torres[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Ketlen Souza[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Yazmin Jauregui[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Joshua Van[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Edgar Chairez[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Raul Rosas Jr.[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Aori Qileng[/autotag]: $6,000

Under the UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program’s payout tiers, which appropriate the money generated by Venum’s multi-year sponsorship with the UFC, fighters are paid based on their total number of UFC bouts, as well as Zuffa-era WEC fights (January 2007 and later) and Zuffa-era Strikeforce bouts (April 2011 and later). Fighters with 1-3 bouts receive $4,000 per appearance; 4-5 bouts get $4,500; 6-10 bouts get $6,000; 11-15 bouts earn $11,000; 16-20 bouts pocket $16,000; and 21 bouts and more get $21,000. Additionally, champions earn $42,000 while title challengers get $32,000.

In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-30 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.

Full 2024 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $5,721,500
2023 total: $8,188,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $28,458,500

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 306.

Joshua Van def. Edgar Chairez at UFC 306 at Sphere in Las Vegas: Best photos

Check out the best photos from Joshua Van’s unanimous decision win over Edgar Chairez at UFC 306 at Sphere in Las Vegas.

Check out the best photos from [autotag]Joshua Van[/autotag]’s unanimous decision win over [autotag]Edgar Chairez[/autotag] at UFC 306 at Sphere in Las Vegas. (Fight and venue photos by Stephen R. Sylvanie, USA Today Sports)

Joshua Van steps into UFC 306 vs. Edgar Chairez after Kevin Borjas withdraws

A UFC fighter has pulled out of the Sphere event for the first time since the lineup was announced.

[autotag]Joshua Van[/autotag] has raised his hand once again. But this time as a result, he’ll fight in potential once-in-a-lifetime UFC venue at Sphere in Las Vegas.

With [autotag]Kevin Borjas[/autotag] off the Sept. 14 card for undisclosed reasons, Van (10-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC) steps in to face [autotag]Edgar Chairez[/autotag] (11-5 MMA, 1-1 UFC) in a flyweight undercard bout at UFC 306.

Two people with knowledge of the matchup recently informed MMA Junkie of the change but asked to remain anonymous since the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.

The change is the first one the UFC 306 card at Sphere has encountered. The card is set to be the promotion’s annual Noche UFC event, a tribute to Mexican Independence Day.

Van has remained incredibly active since his amateur debut in December 2020. The fight will mark his 18th over that 46-month period. Van signed with the UFC in 2023 and quickly racked up wins over Zhalgas Zhumagulov, Kevin Borjas, and Felipe Bunes. In July, Van was finished with strikes by Charles Johnson for his first UFC loss.

Chairez has had mixed results in the UFC. After a loss to Tatsuro Taira in his promotional debut, Chairez fought Daniel Lacerda in back-to-back fights. The first was a no contest due to a premature stoppage. Chairez won the rematch by first-round triangle choke submission.

The updated UFC 306 fight card includes:

  • Champ Sean O’Malley vs. Merab Dvalishvili – for bantamweight title
  • Champ Alexa Grasso vs. Valentina Shevchenko – for women’s flyweight title
  • Diego Lopes vs. Brian Ortega
  • Esteban Ribovics vs. Daniel Zellhuber
  • Ode Osbourne vs. Ronaldo Rodriguez
  • Irene Aldana vs. Norma Dumont
  • Ignacio Bahamondes vs. Manuel Torres
  • Yazmin Jauregui vs. Ketlen Souza
  • Edgar Chairez vs. Joshua Van
  • Raul Rosas Jr. vs. Aori Qileng

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 306.

UFC on ESPN 59 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: 2024 total passes $4 million

The UFC has now issued more than $4 million in Promotional Guidelines Compliance to its fighters in 2024 after UFC Denver.

DENVER – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 59 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $180,500.

The program, a comprehensive plan that includes outfitting requirements, media obligations and other items under the fighter code of conduct, replaces the previous payments made under the UFC Athlete Outfitting Policy.

UFC on ESPN 59 took place at Ball Arena in Colorado. The card aired on ESPN and streamed on ESPN+.

The full UFC on ESPN 59 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Rose Namajunas[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Tracy Cortez[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Muslim Salikhov[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Santiago Ponzinibbio[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]Jean Silva[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Drew Dober[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Gabriel Bonfim[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Ange Loosa[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Julian Erosa[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Christian Rodriguez[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Abdul Razak Alhassan[/autotag]: $11,000
vs. [autotag]Cody Brundage[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Charles Johnson[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Joshua Van[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Jasmine Jasudavicius[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Fatima Kline[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Montel Jackson[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Da’Mon Blackshear[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Luana Santos[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Mariya Agapova[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Andre Petroski[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Josh Fremd[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Evan Elder[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Darrius Flowers[/autotag]: $4,500

Under the UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program’s payout tiers, which appropriate the money generated by Venum’s multi-year sponsorship with the UFC, fighters are paid based on their total number of UFC bouts, as well as Zuffa-era WEC fights (January 2007 and later) and Zuffa-era Strikeforce bouts (April 2011 and later). Fighters with 1-3 bouts receive $4,000 per appearance; 4-5 bouts get $4,500; 6-10 bouts get $6,000; 11-15 bouts earn $11,000; 16-20 bouts pocket $16,000; and 21 bouts and more get $21,000. Additionally, champions earn $42,000 while title challengers get $31,000.

In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-59 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.

Full 2024 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $4,129,000
2023 total: $8,188,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $26,866,000

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 59.

UFC on ESPN 59 fighters took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay, a program that continued after the UFC’s deal with Venum.

UFC on ESPN 59 video: Charles Johnson scores stunning upset KO of Joshua Van

Charles Johnson turned the tables on Joshua Van with a perfect uppercut en route to a huge upset win at UFC on ESPN 59.

[autotag]Charles Johnson[/autotag] showed once again that he has zero quit in him by rallying to upset [autotag]Joshua Van[/autotag] at UFC on ESPN 59.

Johnson (16-6 MMA, 5-4 UFC) was a sizeable betting underdog to hyped flyweight prospect Van (10-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC), and for the first two rounds at Ball Arena in Denver, it looked like he was slightly out of his depth and en route to a decision loss.

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But then the third round began, and Johnson stunned Van with a crisp punch followed by a huge uppercut that led to the knockdown. He pounded and got the knockout at the 0:20 mark of Round 3 to a stunning applause from the crowd (via X):

After the fight, an ecstatic Johnson, who has now won three straight fights after losing three prior, said he’s on the way up in the 125-pound rankings.

“I got this fight 11 days ago,” Johnson said in his post-fight interview with Paul Felder. “… UFC, let me get a ranking, baby.”

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Up-to-the-minute UFC on ESPN 59 results include:

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 59.