Edgar Chairez has yet to reach the elite level at flyweight, but he feels he’s already proved he’s among the world’s best.
Chairez (12-6 MMA, 2-2 UFC), currently unranked in the UFC’s flyweight division, has already put together quite a resume despite just having four fights in the promotion. His two defeats came at the hands of current UFC flyweight champion Joshua Van and Tatsuro Taira, who is considered the No. 1 contender by many. Those two have defeated many, and in convincing fashion. But what makes Chairez different is how those fights unfolded, especially against Van, who went on to become champion about a year after they fought.
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“I see it as confidence for me,” Chairez told Hablemos MMA in Spanish. “A lot of people say (Van) took the fight on short notice, but he had a fight the following week, so he was training. It wasn’t really short notice. I also had some issues. My dad had passed away a few weeks before. I didn’t want to fight, but in the end, I chose to fight because I needed money. But all the pros and cons in the end get pushed to the side. We both chose to fight, and we put on a great fight.
“I’ve seen the fight a few times, and to me, I beat him. Maybe there was a close round because he did connect a few good shots, but I recovered, and I knocked him down twice. But that doesn’t matter now. I thought I won, but mentally I tell myself, ‘No, you didn’t win because you need to finish, and you don’t win a fight by points.’ I think you’re already losing if you’re thinking about outpointing someone. Whatever.”
Chairez won the first round on all three judges’ scorecards, but lost the second and third. He scored a knockdown in Round 1 and rocked Van twice in Round 2. However, Van outstruck Chairez in the final two rounds, dealing his fair share of damage.
Since the two fought at Noche UFC in 2024, Chairez only competed once, submitting CJ Vergara. On the other hand, Van fought five times, winning the UFC flyweight title in his last bout back in December.
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“It’s been tough to think whether I should’ve fought given the conditions, but I still managed to show who I am and what I’m capable of,” Chairez said. “Then I went to my next fight, and I won very easily. I’m in an incredible peak in my technique and evolution. I’m so excited to compete. It’s been almost a year. I want to show people what I’m capable of.
“Little by little, I’ll keep climbing. … I think I win this one, maybe I take a short-notice fight against a top guy, and I can find myself in a semifinal bout against a top five. It sounds like fantasy, but that’s how it works in the division. It’s all about being popular and making noise, and I’m coming for some viral knockouts, so I can keep rising and conquering.”
Chairez returns to the cage on Feb. 28 at UFC Fight Night 268 against Brazil’s Felipe Bunes. He’s excited to finally be fighting again and hopes to remain more active in 2026 so he can climb the UFC flyweight ladder.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Edgar Chairez motivated by Joshua Van’s UFC title run: ‘I beat him’
