“I went through my whole contract as champion. I got to re-negotiate, ‘I want pay-per-view points,’ [Dana White] says, ‘We don’t give it to you guys,’” revealed MMA flyweight legend Demetrious Johnson. In a candid revelation last year, Johnson reflected on his bittersweet relationship with Dana White and the UFC brass. Despite being at the height of his career with a loyal fanbase, ‘DJ’ claimed the promotion refused to grant him pay-per-view points.

That denial, he suggested, led to a major fallout between the flyweight GOAT and the UFC, ultimately prompting his departure from the organization in 2019. Years later, the state of the UFC’s flyweight division remains largely the same—highly competitive but still underappreciated. Even with elite fighters delivering consistent performances, the division continues to struggle for mainstream recognition.

Fan interest has steadily declined, and the UFC has done little to reignite momentum. Even longtime commentator and podcast host Joe Rogan couldn’t ignore the issue, addressing it candidly during a recent episode of the JRE podcast.

Who is the most underrated fighter, according to Joe Rogan?

In the early days of the UFC, bantamweight was the lightest weight class. However, other promotions, like WEC and PRIDE, already featured the flyweight division. After UFC 140, Dana White officially announced that the UFC would be adding a flyweight division—kicking things off with a four-man tournament involving Ian McCall, Demetrious Johnson, Joseph Benavidez, and Yasuhiro Urushitani.

Despite the promising start, the division struggled to gain long-term support and recognition from the promotion. Many fans and analysts have argued that the UFC’s flyweights haven’t received equal treatment from Dana White & Co. Speaking on the issue during episode #2337 of The Joe Rogan Experience, while in conversation with singer-songwriter Oliver Anthony, longtime UFC commentator voiced his frustration over the lack of spotlight on reigning champion Alexandre Pantoja. Rogan said,

“There’s a guy who’s defending his flyweight title at the end of June, Alexandre Pantoja. He’s one of the best fighters of all time. I mean, he’s so fucking good, but he’s 125 pounds. So people, you know, they don’t appreciate him as much. If that guy was 170, he would be a fucking superstar. He’s so good. He’s so good everywhere—elite black belt on the ground, nasty striking, hyper-aggressive, just dominant.”

Alexandre Pantoja is currently on a dominant seven-fight win streak, having beaten elite contenders like Kai Asakura, Brandon Royval, and others—essentially cleaning out the division. Yet, despite being every bit as good as Joe Rogan describes, ‘The Cannibal’ remains outside the UFC’s pound-for-pound top 10, prompting questions about the promotion’s treatment of the flyweight class under Dana White & Co.

Still, Alexandre Pantoja hasn’t let the lack of recognition slow him down. Instead, he’s set to defend his title once again at UFC 317 against Kai Kara-France, determined to cement his legacy as one of the most dominant champions in the division’s history. But as he prepares for battle, a new generation of hungry contenders is already lining up, ready to test the king’s reign.

Joshua Van is determined to dethrone Alexandre Pantoja soon

In an effort to inject new life into the flyweight division, Dana White & Co. made a bold move in 2023 by signing Joshua Van (14-2)—then a 21-year-old talent and the first Burmese fighter ever to join the UFC roster. Since then, Van has lived up to the hype, climbing the rankings with dominant performances and currently holding the No. 10 spot. Now 23, Van stands on the brink of title contention. He’s set for his second Octagon appearance of the year at UFC 317, where he’ll take on top-ranked contender Brandon Royval.

Originally, Royval was slated to face Manel Kape, but an injury scrapped that matchup, opening the door for the surging Van. The stakes are high, and the opportunity is massive—Van could mirror the meteoric rise of UFC legend Jon Jones, who captured UFC gold at the same age. Speaking with Ariel Helwani about what lies ahead, Van made his ambitions clear,

“The only reason I called out [Brandon] Moreno [after UFC 316] was because everyone in the top 15 had a matchup and stuff like that. It was just me and him that were left, and he said he wanted to fight on Noche UFC, I want to fight in Texas. But if they give me a title [fight after UFC 317], hell yeah, I’ll take the title.”

With UFC 317 just around the corner, do you believe Joshua Van has what it takes to dethrone Alexandre Pantoja if they ever clash inside the Octagon? Share your predictions below.