Joshua Van Visits Father's Grave in Houston After UFC Title Run
Joshua Van stood at his father's grave in Houston two days after winning the UFC flyweight championship in December, then described why he rarely goes inside the cemetery unless he has done something major. The 24-year-old champion, now 16-2, heads into UFC 328 with a title defense against Tatsuro Taira on Saturday in Newark, New Jersey.
Houston Cemetery Visit
"I will go to the cemetery with my mom, but I usually stay in the car," Van said. "I only go in when I accomplish something big." That trip came right after he captured the 125-pound belt, turning a personal milestone into a visit tied directly to his family history.
He was blunt about the weight of that moment. "I was nothing but a disappointment when he was alive, you know what I mean?" Van said. The visit landed after a long road that started in Myanmar, where he was born and spent his formative years before his family was split apart while his father searched for ways to move them out.
Myanmar to Houston
Van was separated from his father and two of his sisters when he was 9 years old. One year later, after two sisters had gone to his father first, he, his mother and younger sister went to a refugee camp in Malaysia. The family reached Houston when he was 12, and Van said he was teased because he struggled to speak and understand English.
He also said he got into fights constantly after arriving in Houston, then moved out after a friend told him, "Bro, this one is serious, you need to get out of the city," and his father agreed immediately. "At first I thought he was f---ing with me, but I told my dad and he didn't give it a second thought," Van said. "Two days after I told my dad about it, I moved."
UFC 328 in Newark
Van later lived with family members in Iowa before returning to Houston and finding an MMA gym. He made his amateur debut at 19 in 2020, then fought his way to a UFC contract in less than three years and has gone 9-1 in the promotion. Last year, he became the second-youngest champion in UFC history behind Jon Jones.
The title run also carried another layer. Van wanted to represent Myanmar on MMA's biggest stage, but the UFC's flag policy repeatedly blocked that display, and coach Daniel Pineda said Van would get upset every time the flag had to come off just before he walked out. "He would literally have it ready to make the walk, and they would tell him he couldn't have it," Pineda said.
Now the champion's focus shifts to Saturday. Van will defend his 125-pound championship against Taira in Newark, carrying a 16-2 record and the weight of the title he won in December into his next fight.
