Joshua Van dismisses Pantoja injury as luck, wants active title reign

Joshua Van is wasting no time asserting himself as the UFC flyweight champion, and the 24-year-old from Myanmar is pushing back on any narrative that luck played a role in how he captured the title from Alexandre Pantoja.

Van, who now holds a 17-2 record and wears the flyweight belt, explained that the sequence that led to Pantoja's hand injury was anything but accidental. After Pantoja landed an early leg kick, Van said he became deliberately alert to the threat of another. When Pantoja attempted a follow-up kick, Van caught it and pushed him away — and it was at that precise moment Pantoja's hand broke. Van's position is clear: his reaction was tactical, not fortunate.

Pantoja, now ranked first in the flyweight division and fourth in the pound-for-pound standings, entered the fight as one of the most decorated champions in the weight class. The 36-year-old Brazilian carries a 30-6 record and has long been a dominant force at 125 pounds, averaging 2.8 takedowns per 15 minutes and generating consistent submission threats throughout his career.

Van, fighting out of 4oz. Fight Club, brings a strikingly different profile. He lands an extraordinary 8.84 significant strikes per minute at 56 percent accuracy — numbers that reflect an aggressive, high-output style that put pressure on Pantoja throughout their bout.

Why it matters

• Van has signaled openness to a rematch with Pantoja but will not put his reign on hold waiting for the former champion to recover
• With Pantoja sidelined, the top of the flyweight division faces a period of uncertainty around title contention
• Van's desire to stay active means the division's top contenders could soon be in line for a shot at the new champion