LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – JUNE 28: (L-R) Joshua Van of Myanmar faces off with Alexandre Pantoja of Brazil … More
The next UFC flyweight title fight looks like it will pit champion Alexandre Pantoja against Joshua Van after both men won on Saturday’s UFC 317 pay-per-view card in Las Vegas.
UFC 317: Alexandre Pantoja And Joshua Van Triumph
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – JUNE 28: (L-R) Joshua Van of Myanmar shales hands with Alexandre Pantoja of … More
Pantoja (30-5) defended his UFC flyweight title for the fourth time with a third-round submission win over Kai Kara-France in the UFC 317 co-main event. Meanwhile, one fight before that, Van (15-2) seemed to punch his ticket to a title fight with a decision win over former title challenger and No. 1 ranked contender Brandon Royval.
Pantoja made a statement on Saturday night. He shut down Kai Kara-France’s striking efforts through forward pressure, excellent ground control, patience, and incredible situational awareness. If Pantoja can get his opponent to the mat, he is almost impossible to deal with.
With his win over Kara-France, Pantoja has now defended the UFC flyweight title four times and is riding an eight-fight winning streak. At 35, the one thing that could slow Pantoja is age, but judging from his performance at UFC 317, I wouldn’t expect that to happen any time soon.
I had my worries about Van heading into UFC 317. He had fought earlier this month, beating Bruno Silva with ease at UFC 316. With that win, Van broke into the official flyweight rankings. A few days after that victory, Van agreed to face Royval at UFC 317, replacing an injured Manel Kape.
My concerns were that the 23-year-old Van was biting off more than he could chew so early in his UFC career. On the other hand, Van had nothing to lose by fighting Royval and a lot to gain. A loss would give him big-time fight experience and the ability to work on gaps in his game. A win, and Van would be in the running for a title shot.
Van handled himself well against the more experienced Royval, starting aggressive and then used his speed, accuracy, power, and athleticism to effectively counter Royval when he became the aggressor in the second round of their three-round matchup.
I won’t say Van fought a perfect fight, but he landed 66 percent of his significant strikes, countered well, and scored a knockdown late in the contest. It would be hard to give Van any grade other than an “A” for how well he performed in picking up the win in what will be a contender for “Fight of the Year” at the end of 2025.
The UFC brought Van into the Octagon to face off with Pantoja following Pantoja’s win over Kara-France.
Alexandre Pantoja Vs. Joshua Van Opening Betting Odds
When BetOnline listed the opening odds for the potential UFC flyweight title fight between Pantoja and Van, the champion was a -190 favorite over the +165 challenger. Today, Pantoja is listed at -215 to Van’s +185.
Alexandre Pantoja On Joshua Van
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – JUNE 28: (L-R) Joshua Van of Myanmar talks to Alexandre Pantoja of Brazil in the … More
“When I was 23, I was working in the restaurant, cleaning dishes,” Pantoja said at the UFC 317 post-fight press conference. “Look at that. The guy is 23 and going to fight for the belt, for the world championship. I think this guy is going to be my toughest challenger. He’s young. He’s hungry and he doesn’t make wars like I did in the past. I did my 35th professional fight tonight. That’s a lot of wars I passed through with a lot of very good fighters. The UFC gives me this new guy. I think everybody wants to see the new. No more rematches for me. I want to fight with that guy, too. I want that challenge to fight with the new blood, with a new kid.”
“I found a couple fights from Joshua Van,” Pantoja added. “He does an amazing job with Rei Tsuruya. He defended all the takedowns. He beat (Bruno Silva) in the last fight. He got this opportunity to fight the No. 1 contender, Royval, and did an amazing job. Who can do that? Now, I think that’s my toughest challenge. Monday, I’m back to the gym. My coaches know that. I’m no more the champion of the world. I’m the challenger. I know who is my opponent and I know what I want. I want this belt again.”
Joshua Van On Alexandre Pantoja
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – JUNE 28: (L-R) Joshua Van of Myanmar faces off with Alexandre Pantoja of Brazil … More
“I just watched his fight to watch because I never studied him,” Van said of Pantoja. “I’m like, one fight at a time. After this, we go back and we’re going to study him. This is a new era of fighting. … The legacy that he has in this division, just beating him is just going to be greater for my legacy, too.”
“You know my takedown defense is on point, too,” Van added. “He’s never fought Joshua Van. Soon, we’re going to find out. … I’m Joshua Van. I don’t fight like these guys. It’s going to be a whole different fight.”
UFC 317 took place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
The UFC has not officialy announced Pantoja vs. Van as the next UFC flyweight title fight.
