Preview: UFC 306 Prelims

Flyweights

Joshua Van (10-2, 3-1 UFC) vs. Edgar Chairez (11-5, 1-1 UFC)

ODDS: Van (-218), Chairez (+180)

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Van is coming off his first loss inside the UFC, but he’s still one of the promotion’s brightest young prospects. A professional since 2021, Van has kept a busy schedule and proved a surprisingly quick study. Initially an aggressive and one-dimensional striker, Van developed an effective wrestling and grappling game over the stretch of a few months leading up to his UFC debut in June 2023. Once Van made it to the Octagon, his fights started to follow the same script. Things would be exciting throughout, but it would take Van about a round to feel his way into the fight until he started breaking down opponents with some impressively diverse and precise aggression. Things seemed to be going the same way in a barnburner against Charles Johnson in July. Then Johnson caught Van with a brutal uppercut at the start of the third round, stopping his momentum along with the fight itself. Van’s UFC career has been marked by a willingness to accept late-notice fights—the Johnson bout was only his second of the year, though four other potential matchups fell through—so it’s not a shock to see him step in again, this time against Chairez.

Mexico’s Chairez might not have championship potential, but he has the type of well-rounded veteran game that figures to make him a divisional stalwart. Large for a flyweight, “Puro Chicali” is typically content to stay at range and slowly pick his opponents apart on the feet, then lean on a crafty grappling game—including a well-practiced guillotine choke—if they decide to close ranks and take things to the mat. Chairez’s UFC debut saw him frustrate Tatsuro Taira for three rounds and survive to a decision loss—a result that looks more impressive as time goes on—but he has mostly wasted the past year being booked against Daniel da Silva. Chairez seemingly had a first-round submission well in hand before an early referee stoppage, resulting in the UFC repeatedly rebooking the fight until he simply scored another quick submission victory. At any rate, Chairez should once again be able to survive three rounds against a talented young opponent, but it’s hard to see him taking this on the scorecards. Even if Van takes his foot off the gas a bit after his recent knockout loss, the Burmese-American should consistently hit the sharpest shots of the fight. The pick is Van via decision.

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