Joshua Van retained his UFC flyweight title with a unanimous-decision victory over Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 331 in Los Angeles, settling the score with the former champion after their first meeting ended prematurely through injury.
The 24-year-old Myanmar fighter won on all three judges’ scorecards, with margins of 49-46, 49-47 and 50-45, extending his professional mixed martial arts record to 18 wins and two defeats.
Pantoja’s elbow dislocated just 26 seconds into their first bout in December last year, leaving Van as champion without an outright victory over the Brazilian. Pantoja had held the flyweight belt for at least two years before the injury brought their contest to an abrupt end.
Van had since defended the title against Tatsuro Taira in May, but the return bout with Pantoja offered him the chance to establish himself conclusively at the top of the 125-pound (56.7kg) division.
Pantoja made the stronger start in Los Angeles, taking Van down in the opening round before connecting with heavy punches and knees during a fierce exchange. Van responded with a sharp elbow, but his coaches urged him to adopt a more measured approach between rounds.
Van followed that advice by using his left-handed jab effectively in the second round, before a fluent combination rocked Pantoja in the third. The Brazilian regained control in the fourth by taking Van to the canvas, although he could not force a submission.
In the final round, Van pressed forward and dropped Pantoja with an overhand right, strengthening his case with the judges and securing his second successful title defence.
“A lot of people said that was an accidental win … well, doubt me now,” Van said afterwards.
The victory cemented Van’s reign as the UFC’s first champion from Myanmar and removed the uncertainty surrounding his earlier result against Pantoja.
