Bilal Hasan Has His Eyes Set on a UFC Flyweight Showdown With Joshua Van

Bilal Hasan is officially the hottest prospect in the UFC flyweight division. After securing a staggering, record-breaking two knockout victories within a span of just 18 days, the Indonesian standout is looking to capitalize on his skyrocketing momentum. Catching up in a recent interview, Hasan detailed his whirlwind month, his aspirations for a spot on the UFC’s upcoming marquee event at Madison Square Garden this November, and exactly who he wants to be standing across the octagon from him next.

When pressed on potential opponents for his highly anticipated return, Hasan revealed he had his eyes set on a fellow recent competitor who fought on his undercard. “I called out Andre Lima,” Hasan explained. “I literally, right before my fight, I was watching his fight ’cause of course he was right before me, and I was like, damn, like, I’m not impressed. He won, and I think it’d be a good fight for me to, you know, put another highlight on.”

However, Hasan acknowledged that Lima’s recent struggles on the scale might force the Brazilian out of the weight class altogether. In the meantime, Hasan remains open to all challengers, including media-ranked veterans like Charles Johnson. He is keeping a company-man mentality as his profile continues to rise. “I’m just gonna do my job,” he stated. “I’m gonna stay ready and whatever the UFC wants, if it makes sense with me and my management and my coaches, let’s run it.”

The Joshua Van Superfight and Shanghai Chaos

For Hasan, the ultimate goal involves the absolute top echelon of the flyweight division, which naturally brings up surging prospect Joshua Van. While Van currently has his hands full with a massive test against former champion Alexandre Pantoja, Hasan is confident that their paths will inevitably cross. Early on in Hasan’s UFC tenure, some fans dismissed his chances against Van, but his historic 18-day knockout run has rapidly shifted the public consensus. Hasan embraces the newfound respect from the MMA community.

“It just makes sense, you know? Like, after two highlight performances, I think it’s smart that the fans view it as more realistic,” Hasan noted. He envisions a massive stylistic and cultural clash down the road that the UFC brass will undoubtedly love. “Maybe sometime in the future, you know, I think it’s a great fight. I think it sells, you know, Southeast Asian versus Southeast Asian. I mean, why not, man?”

Hasan’s record-breaking run was capped off during the UFC’s wildly chaotic Shanghai event, a card filled with viral moments both inside and outside the cage. Hasan reflected on the crazy post-fight cage-jumping altercation involving Umar Nurmagomedov, Yadong Song, and Usman Nurmagomedov. Watching from his hotel room, Hasan was thoroughly entertained by the optical illusion of Usman appearing to throw a spinning elbow at Song.

“Song was just running around the cage, and he just happened to run behind Usman, and I think literally Usman probably just, like, instinct was just like, ‘Oh, shit, he’s kinda running towards me. I’m gonna look the other direction,’” Hasan recounted with a laugh. “But just imagine… if Song knocked out Umar and then gets knocked out by a spinning elbow by Usman. The clips would go more crazier than it’s already been going.”

Despite the chaos, Hasan cherished the experience of being around the legendary Dagestani camp. “This is my first time meeting Umar and, like, all the Dagestani guys. It was super cool,” he said, though he lamented that he hasn’t yet met Khabib Nurmagomedov in person.

Looking ahead, Hasan is eager to keep delivering for his fiercely loyal fanbase. Delivering a heartfelt message to his supporters, he promised that his return is right around the corner. “Indonesia, thank you guys so much for your support. I will always appreciate you. You’ll always be my number one,” Hasan promised. “November, December, I’m gonna look to get another one and bring it home.”