UFC Hall of Famer Demetrious Johnson thinks one of his former rivals can be the stiffest test to Joshua Van’s title reign.

UFC flyweight champion Joshua Van retained his title in an instant classic against Tatsuro Taira last Saturday at UFC 328. In a back-and-forth war for as long as the fight lasted, Van knocked out Taira in Round 5 to retain his belt and kick off a new era in the UFC flyweight division.

Next, Van will likely fight Alexandre Pantoja, who injured his shoulder just minutes into their first bout at UFC 323 in December. As of this writing, a timeline for Pantoja’s return to the Octagon remains uncertain.

Van’s title reign comes at a time of many intriguing contenders at the top of the flyweight division, including Manel Kape and Kyoji Horiguchi. Horiguchi, who battled Demetrious Johnson in his first UFC stint, will fight Kape for a potential title shot next month at the UFC Apex.

According to Johnson, Horiguchi could provide a tougher test for Van than Taira did at UFC 328.

Demetrious Johnson tabs Kyoji Horiguchi as major threat to Joshua Van

In a recent breakdown on his YouTube channel, Johnson tabbed Kyoji Horiguchi as the biggest potential threat to Van’s reign.

“I think Kyoji Horiguchi is more seasoned than Tatsuro. Doesn’t have the grappling like Tatsuro, but has a more direct game plan,” Johnson said of Van’s biggest threat.

“Kyoji Horiguchi is really good about following the game plan, and executing it. You look at when he fought Kai Asakura in Japan, Kai Asakura starched him the first time they fought. The second time, Kyoji finished Asakura because he just kept kicking his legs. Was able to knock out Kai with just leg kicks.

“Very exciting time to watch the flyweight division!”

Johnson defeated Horiguchi by fifth-round armbar submission at UFC 186.

Who should Joshua Van fight next after UFC 328? Let us know in the comments!