Joshua Van stepped into UFC 317 just 3 weeks after he stopped Bruno Silva in the third round. In a short-notice clash with a top flyweight contender like Brandon Royval, he still managed to put on one of the best performances of his young career. The 23-year-old from Myanmar didn’t just survive the war with Brandon Royval; he thrived in it.

The three-round scrap was high-paced, gritty, and violent. Van landed the more damaging shots. Royval kept the volume coming. In the final seconds, Van dropped him with a brutal right hook and nearly finished the fight. Judges saw it 29-28, 29-28, and 30-27 for Van, who now rides a five-fight win streak and likely has a title shot on the horizon.

But after the hard-fought victory, during his post-fight interview with Joe Rogan, Van made a stunning admission. He shared, “Yeah man, I broke my toe so in the (Bruno Silva) fight I kinda feel it… Yeah, my right big toe right there, it was f—  up.” The fact that he could even compete, let alone win, made his victory even more remarkable. Still, even with the jaw-dropping ending and the brutal toe injury, all eyes turned to the scorecards.

And this wasn’t the first time fans have sounded the alarm. In March, at UFC Vegas 104, fans were stunned when Alexander Hernandez beat Kurt Holobaugh via decision, despite nearly being submitted and losing key exchanges. A week earlier, Djorden Santos was denied a win at UFC 313 in what many called a robbery.

Then, Mairon Santos won a decision over Francis Marshall, with even the commentary booth calling it a bad call. In the aftermath of Van vs. Royval, fans feared history was repeating itself as we take a look at what the MMA sphere had to say!

Joshua Van fights through injury to secure UFC 317 win, but fans aren’t pleased with the judging

` on X summed it up the best as they pointed out, “Joshua Van and Brandon Royval just competed in arguably the best fight of the year. That 30-27 Scorecard from that judge was wild though.” Although Brandon Royval lost the decision, he had strong moments in every round. As such, the post reflected a shared sentiment: the fight was incredible, but the judging undermined it.

One fan echoed the concern, writing, “R3 could’ve been 10-8 with the knockdown, but yeah don’t think it was a 30-27 fight.” They weren’t questioning Joshua Van’s win, but pointing to the imbalance in scoring. Van’s knockdown in the final seconds may have earned him the third decisively, but the earlier rounds were anything but one-sided. The suggestion of a 10-8 was fair, but a clean sweep? That raised eyebrows.

Another fan stated, “Yeah, very clear 29-28 Van.” Van deserved praise for his actions during the final sequence of the fight, but the fan highlighted that Royval arguably edged out round two with his volume and pressure. It wasn’t a robbery, but the scoring left little room to respect what Royval brought to the cage. What do you think?

Still, the action inside the Octagon didn’t go unnoticed. One user posted, “I cannot get over that Royval Van fight! Josh Van was so sharp—that was a tactical masterpiece.” This fan highlighted Van’s composure, fight IQ, and ability to stay calm under constant fire from a volume striker like Royval. Toe injury or not, Van delivered a performance that showed he’s more than just raw talent; he’s a genuine threat in the flyweight division.

And for those looking at the numbers, MMA writer Adam Martin shared, “The official stats are in for Josh Van vs. Brandon Royval. Royval landed 215 significant strikes Van landed 204 significant strikes and 1 knockdown Just an insane fight.” The stats reinforced the razor-thin nature of the bout. While Joshua Van had the more damaging moments, Brandon Royval was relentless in volume. The knockdown swung it in Van’s favor, but fans pointed out that both fighters delivered and deserved a score that reflected the war they just waged.

In the end, Joshua Van walked out of UFC 317 with his hand raised, a five-fight win streak intact, and a likely title shot in his sights. But while his stock soared, the night didn’t end without controversy. Once again, a great fight was marred by questionable scoring that left fans shaking their heads!