Joshua Van meets Dana White backstage after his rematch with Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 331. Van won a unanimous decision in Los Angeles on September 19, 2026, and kept the UFC flyweight title. Their exchange turns to his age: Van is only 24, which catches White off guard. The short interaction says a lot about Van's rise. He had already won UFC gold, and this Pantoja rematch gave him a full five-round title defense. The clip is a backstage moment, not a substitute for the fight itself. via @knockout (clip credited to Engage by source) #JoshuaVan #DanaWhite #UFC331 #AlexandrePantoja #UFCFlyweight
Joshua Van made history at UFC 331 on September 19, 2026, successfully defending the UFC flyweight title against Alexandre Pantoja via unanimous decision in Los Angeles — and doing so at just 24 years old.
A backstage clip from the event captured Van's exchange with UFC president Dana White, in which Van's age came up and visibly caught White off guard. The moment underscored just how remarkable Van's rise has been: the Myanmar-born fighter from 4oz. Fight Club is already a reigning champion with a full five-round title defense on his resume.
Van, now 18-2, carries one of the most electric striking outputs in the flyweight division, landing 8.26 significant strikes per minute at a 57 percent accuracy rate. Standing five-foot-five with a 65-inch reach, the orthodox southpaw has built a reputation as a relentless pressure fighter. This rematch with Pantoja gave him the chance to prove his first title win was no fluke, and he answered with another championship performance.
Pantoja, 30-7 and ranked fourth pound-for-pound, came in as one of the most experienced flyweights in UFC history. The 36-year-old Brazilian from American Top Team had built his reputation on a strong wrestling base, averaging 2.82 takedowns per 15 minutes, and had logged 0.9 submission attempts per 15 minutes across his career. He shared the same height as Van but held a two-inch reach advantage at 67 inches. Despite those tools, he could not wrest the belt back from the younger champion.
Why it matters
- Van retains gold at 24, cementing himself as a long-term centerpiece of the flyweight division
- Pantoja, the division's top-ranked contender and a former champion, falls short in his bid to reclaim the title
- The age gap between champion and challenger — 12 years — signals a potential changing of the guard at 125 pounds
- Van's striking volume advantage over Pantoja (8.26 versus 4.54 significant strikes per minute) likely shaped the judges' scorecards across five rounds
