Dana White Had No Idea His UFC Champion Was Only 24 Years Old

Can’t lie, this is pretty funny UFC fans…

Jul 11, 2026; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; UFC president Dana White during UFC 329 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

UFC CEO Dana White sometimes isn't all there. After seeing a self-reported 10,000-plus UFC fights since taking over as president in Feb. 2001, things can blend together slightly.

Following an action-packed UFC 331 card, which saw UFC Flyweight Champion Joshua Vanretain his title in a main event rematch against Alexandre Pantoja in Los Angeles, CA, White and UFC CBO Hunter Campbell took time to visit Van outside of the green room at Crypto.com Arena.

Upon congratulating Van on a successful second title defense, White had a now-viral brain fart moment.

White appeared to forget just how young Van is, as he is under 17 days away from turning 25. White asked him directly how old he was, which Van took by surprise.

Joshua Van Has Moment With Dana White

Sep 19, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Joshua Van looks on before his flyweight title bout against Alexandre Pantoja (not pictured) during UFC 331 at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Griffin Hooper-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Dana White spoke with Joshua Van backstage after his win at UFC 331

His reaction when Van said he's 24 years old 😭

(via @engageind) pic.twitter.com/f93aFJhbXO

— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) September 24, 2026

"Man, what a f******* fight," White said, smiling as he greeted Van. "The boys [Mick Maynard and Sean Shelby] are calling it the greatest fight in the history of that division. So, yeah, congrats man."

White told Van just how impressed the assembled media was with his performance, reiterating how much they respect Van's willingness to fight anyone, anytime, anywhere.

"Incredible," Campbell added, who was beside White during the interaction.

White was beaming with excitement upon Van reminding him just how young he is, likely hoping Van remains a fixture in a reinvigorated division.

"Good for you, man," White said. "Congratulations, I'm really happy for you."

Joshua Van Had Perfect 2026

May 9, 2026; Newark, New Jersey, UNITED STATES; Joshua Van (red gloves) celebrates after defeating Tatsuro Taira (blue gloves) during UFC 328 at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Although the interaction lasted just under 40 seconds, it's clear the UFC sees value in Van; otherwise, the clip may not have been received positively amongst the MMA community.

Van (18-2 MMA) is currently on an eight-fight winning streak, sporting an 11-1 UFC record since debuting in 2023. Van was signed to the UFC following a successful stint in Fury FC, becoming the promotion's champion in Dec. 2022 to improve to a then-record of 6-1 before making the transition.

Van's lone MMA loss came against Charles Johnson, eventually kickstarting the current streak he is on now.

Assuming Van doesn't fight again this year, he'll finish 2026 with a perfect 2-0.mark while finally bringing stability to a division that has had its trials and tribulations as of late.

For Pantoja (30-7 MMA), meanwhile, he has now dropped back-to-back fights against Van, returning to the drawing board with more questions than answers regarding what his immediate future at 125 pounds may look like.

We'll see what happens next. Only time will tell, however, as the division moves forward.