An ecstatic Joshua Van scaled the Octagon wall in a mad scramble. Although an athlete with impeccable control over his body, here he was a young man incapable of suppressing the grin that was stretching his fresh face. At only 24 years old, he had just become the youngest active champion in the UFC – the second-youngest in history, in fact, a matter of months behind the ‘great’ Jon Jones.
Furthermore, he had accomplished this feat by dethroning Alexandre Pantoja, one of the most dominant title holders in recent memory. And in barely 30 seconds, no less. So, why did the MMA fanbase take such issue with Van’s jubilation, his exuberance in this life-changing moment?
