The fight pits one of the fastest-rising stars in the UFC against a seasoned veteran of the game, who has established himself as one of the greatest champions ever seen in his weight class.
It’s a battle of youth versus experience, and striking versus grappling, as Van challenges Pantoja, and hopes are high that the pair will serve up a thrilling encounter at T-Mobile Arena.
Co-Main Event Breakdown: Alexandre Pantoja vs Joshua Van
Alexandre Pantoja: Chasing greatness
The consensus best flyweight champion in UFC history remains Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson, courtesy of his record 11 successive championship defences, but Pantoja is closing the gap with every fight, and while he still has a long way to go before he gets close to Johnson’s mark, his dominance of the flyweight division has him rated by many as the second-best flyweight of all time.
Pantoja will bid to complete his fifth successful title defence this weekend at UFC 323 when he takes on Van, and the Brazilian, who trains out of American Top Team in Coconut Creek, Florida, is looking better with every championship appearance.
After winning the belt from Brandon Moreno by split decision at UFC 290, Pantoja claimed back-to-back unanimous decision victories over Brandon Royval and Steve Erceg as he established himself as the man to beat at 125 pounds.
But in his last two outings, “The Cannibal” has turned up the heat and claimed a pair of rear-naked choke submissions, finishing former RIZIN FF bantamweight champion Kai Asakura and Kiwi contender Kai Kara-France at UFC 310 and 317, respectively.
Now he faces Van as he bids to further cement his status as the best flyweight in the world.
Joshua Van: Meteoric rise
Joshua Van’s ascent up the UFC’s flyweight division has been a remarkable one. The exciting, fan-friendly flyweight lost his fourth UFC bout to charles Johnson, but bounced back with five successive victories to earn himself a shot at the undisputed crown.
Victories over Edgar Chairez and Cody Durden set him up for a big year in 2025, and a pair of victories over Rei Tsuruya, Bruno Silva put him into the bottom end of the UFC’s flyweight rankings.
And, just three weeks after his victory over Silva, Van got the call to step in for the injured Manel Kape and face No. 1 contender Brandon Royval at UFC 317 during UFC International Fight Week, and he delivered in brilliant style.
In one of the most entertaining fights of 2025, Van went toe to toe with Royval and outboxed the top contender en route to a unanimous decision victory. It catapulted him to the sharp end of the UFC’s flyweight rankings, and into range of a title shot.
He gets that shot this weekend at UFC 323, and the Burmese-born Texas native plans on delivering with the biggest performance of his career.
Look out for…
- Grappling vs striking: Pantoja is a dangerous grappler who loves to dominate his opponents before finishing them with his jiu-jitsu, but he’s more than happy to get involved in a tear-up on the feet, too. A stand-up war is exactly what Van wants, and he’ll fancy his chances strongly if the champion stands in the pocket with him
- Crazy pace: The action is always fast and furious in the flyweight division, but these are two of the quickest, most aggressive flyweights in the world. This one should be a lot of fun
- Meeting aggression with aggression: Pantoja loves to push the pace on his opponents, and will be chasing a finish this weekend. To battle that, Van has no option but to push back with aggression of his own. Whether this goes to the judges or produces a finish, this matchup looks sure to deliver fireworks
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