Growing up in the Bisping house, martial arts was a way of life. So following his father Michael Bisping, his eldest son Callum too began his journey in combat sports early on. In fact, at just 15 years of age, the then-high schooler had already made his name as a wrestler. 9 years later, the grappler whose father was more into striking disciplines such as boxing and kickboxing, isn’t just a high school wrestler or a casual spectator.

At just 24 years, Callum already has a strong amateur wrestling background, competing for San Francisco State University in the NCAA D-II and is a Jiu-Jitsu champion. Moreover, training under Team Alpha Male, the same gym that helped shape names like Cody Garbrandt and Urijah Faber, he’s finally looking for a way into MMA. There, after cornering his friend in a match in 2021, Michael revealed, “He said, ‘Dad, would you train me for a fight?’”

Although the father was proud to be his son’s coach, he also clarified one thing– “When he does get there, guess what? There’s only f— one highlander and that’s me.” But as of now, Callum seems to be eyeing another fighter who is quickly rising in the ranks in the promotion. In fact, he has joked he might not be all hyped up about UFC’s newest flyweight sensation, Joshua Van; as Michael recently revealed.

On episode 642 of the Believe You Me podcast on YouTube, the former middleweight champion shared the moment with co-host Paul Felder while praising Van. “23 years old,” Bisping said, referring to Van’s age. Felder responded, “Yeah, he’s a kid. He’s a kid!” ‘The Count’ then continued by sharing, “Callum’s 24 now, and Callum’s like, ‘Oh, I hate this guy.’ And I said, ‘Why?’ He was joking. He’s like, ‘He’s 23 and look at what he’s doing with his life. He’s making me feel bad.’ It’s unbelievable. He’s 23 years old, he’s been in the UFC for two years.”

It’s not every day you hear a fighter get shade, even if out of a platonic jealousy, for simply being ahead of schedule. But when you’re a young athlete watching another 23-year-old light up the Octagon on short notice at UFC 317, those feelings hit close to home.

Van, who replaced Manel Kape and fought Brandon Royval just weeks after knocking out Bruno Silva, has been turning heads. While his fight went down as a ‘Fight of the Year’ contender, it also became the moment Callum Bisping decided he’d had enough!

But while Callum Bisping may be jokingly jealous of Van’s UFC success, there’s no denying what the 23-year-old flyweight has achieved. Immediately after his war with Brandon Royval at UFC 317, Joshua Van’s journey went from underdog to headliner. And now? He’s set for gold!

Joshua Van is ready for a ‘December title shot’ against Alexandre Pantoja as he quells injury fears

After a hard-fought decision win over Brandon Royval at UFC 317, Van didn’t get long to soak it all in. Minutes later, he was back inside the Octagon, facing off with champion Alexandre Pantoja. In an interview with MMA Junkie a few days after the fight, he confessed, “Sh–, I thought it was normal. Dana White said we were going to fight for the belt, right? So I thought if he already said that, it was supposed to be like that.”

Van made it clear he meant no disrespect but gave a “shoutout” to both the champion and the UFC for giving him his moment under the spotlight and “to show the people I’m really the next guy in line.”

With fans rallying behind him and attention soaring, the 23-year-old remains calm, even amid injury fears. He revealed he felt a toe “move” during the fight and feared it was broken. But subsequent X-rays cleared him of serious damage. So, what’s next? According to the flyweight contender, “Hopefully by the end of this year, we’ll be able to fight. The champ said he wants to fight around December, so why not December?”

Alexandre Pantoja reportedly wants to defend his title again by the end of the year, and Van is more than ready. So, whether it’s playful envy from Callum Bisping or a title shot looming on the horizon, one thing is clear: Joshua Van’s rise is impossible to ignore.

From stepping in on short notice to stealing the show at UFC 317, the 23-year-old has already left a mark that’s hard to shake. And while he may have ruffled feathers in the Bisping household, Van’s calm confidence and relentless work ethic suggest he’s just getting started. With a potential clash against Alexandre Pantoja lined up for December, the question now isn’t if Van is ready for gold, it’s whether even the champion can halt his momentum? What do you think? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!