- 1 Van vs Pantoja 2: 26 seconds at UFC 323, nine months of frustration, and one goal for the Brazilian
- 2 Joshua Van: a legitimate champion at 24, but still an unknown at the top level
- 3 Alexandre Pantoja: four title defences, eight straight wins, and an injury that changed nothing
- 4 UFC 331 prediction Van vs Pantoja 2
- 5 First, a word on our free picks
- 6 No commitment from us
- 7 Information that can change
- 8 Your responsibility
- 9 Responsible gambling first
- 10 Legal age
- 11 About the images…
Van vs Pantoja 2: 26 seconds at UFC 323, nine months of frustration, and one goal for the Brazilian 
Joshua Van and Alexandre Pantoja meet again at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on 20 September for a bout that should already be in the books. Their first fight at UFC 323 lasted just 26 seconds before an elbow injury to Pantoja brought it to a halt. Van walked away with the belt. The whole division was left wanting more.
Nine months on, both men return with the script flipped. Van is no longer the underdog: he defended his title at UFC 328 with a fifth-round stoppage of Tatsuro Taira. Pantoja, meanwhile, still has the kind of point to make no injury can erase — that he was the best flyweight on the planet before that December night.
The winner of Van vs Pantoja 2 will be the undisputed champion of one of the UFC’s most compelling divisions.
Joshua Van: a legitimate champion at 24, but still an unknown at the top level 
Van (17-2, 24) has built his case the hard way. He arrived at UFC 306 off a knockout defeat, then ripped off seven straight wins, including a fifth-round finish of Taira in Newark — the kind of showing that tells you plenty about his gas tank and his calm when things get ugly.
The tools are real: high output, stamina, and the ability to keep a five-round fight on his terms. He’s young, and physically a handful in a division where the late rounds often decide everything.
The question mark is the level of opposition. Van has never faced a fighter of Pantoja’s calibre at full strength. The seven men on his winning streak included solid contenders, but Pantoja at his best is a different tier altogether.
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Alexandre Pantoja: four title defences, eight straight wins, and an injury that changed nothing 
Pantoja (30-6, 36) was one of the UFC’s most dominant champions before the night of UFC 323. Four straight title defences, eight wins in a row, and submission finishes over Kai Asakura and Kai Kara-France — two elite names by any measure.
His game is built on grappling: stand-up turns into clinch work, clinch work turns into back control, and back control turns into a choke. The Brazilian does not need to force the issue for long to find an opening.
He also brings a three-inch reach advantage over Van — a real edge in a division where the margins are razor thin. His time at American Top Team and his extra 10 years of experience make him the more complete fighter on paper.
The only real question is how he looks after nine months out and a serious elbow injury. Ring rust does not vanish just because you’ve been around the block. But Pantoja has 30 wins on his record. He is not the sort of man who forgets how to fight.
Joshua Van record: 17 wins (9 KO/TKO, 2 submissions, 6 decisions) – 2 losses. UFC flyweight champion. Last defence: fifth-round stoppage of Taira (UFC 328).
Alexandre Pantoja record: 30 wins (8 KO/TKO, 12 submissions, 10 decisions) – 6 losses. Former UFC flyweight champion. 4 straight defences before injury. Absence: 9 months.
UFC 331 prediction Van vs Pantoja 2
Our prediction: Alexandre Pantoja to win
Van is the real deal. His fifth-round finish of Taira proved that much. But Pantoja at his best is still the best flyweight on the planet, and nine months away from competition does not erase 12 years at the elite level.
Pantoja’s plan is clear and brutal: close the distance, take the back, finish the fight. He has done exactly that in four straight title defences. Van will need to keep a very exact pace for 25 minutes to avoid that script — and nobody has managed to do that against the Brazilian.
The experience gap, the stronger grappling, and the three-inch reach edge all point to the former champion. We are backing the Pantoja comeback and the third double champion in UFC flyweight history.
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Photo credit: Ethan Miller / GETTY IMAGES
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