UFC champ Joshua Van explains why he wants to ‘pick’ Alexander Volkanovski’s brain

UFC flyweight champion Joshua Van recently met featherweight titleholder Alexander Volkanovski in Washington, D.C., and the encounter left a lasting impression on the younger champion. Van watched Volkanovski train and came away impressed by his intelligence, technical prowess, and measured approach to the sport. The two champions share a similar build, which gave Van additional motivation to absorb lessons from one of the sport's elite strikers.

Van spoke enthusiastically about the experience to MMA Junkie, crediting Volkanovski's smart, technical fighting style—devoid of unnecessary aggression—as a model he wants to emulate. "That guy is a very smart man; I learned so many things from him," Van said. "Just to be around, not even that long, but like I was in the same room and learned so much just from watching him train." Van emphasized his willingness to seek out Volkanovski's counsel whenever possible, calling him "one of the greats for sure."

Both champions are preparing for significant title defenses in the coming weeks. Van (17–2) is set to defend his flyweight crown in a rematch against Alexandre Pantoja (30–6) at UFC 331 on September 19 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. Volkanovski (28–4), meanwhile, will defend his featherweight title against undefeated challenger Movsar Evloev (20–0) at UFC 333 on October 24 at Etihad Arena on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi. Volkanovski has also publicly praised Van's hunger to learn, underscoring the mutual respect between the two title holders.