There can be no questioning Joshua Van now.
Houston’s first UFC champion defended his flyweight title by displaying his superior boxing skills and battering former longtime champion Alexandre Pantoja to win a decision 50-45, 49-47, 49-46 at UFC 331 on Saturday night at Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena.
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Van (18-2), who was born in Myanmar but has lived in Houston since he was 12 years old, put to rest any doubts from those who questioned the way he first took the belt from Pantoja. That came last December when Pantoja (30-7), who had been champion at 125 pounds for two and a half years and was on an eight-fight winning streak, fell awkwardly after attempting a head kick and dislocated his elbow just 26 seconds into the fight, which was stopped, giving Van the crown.
During the build-up to the rematch nine months later, Van said he was going to beat Pantoja that first time anyway, and promised to do the same the second time. He was right.
“A lot of people said that was an accident win the first time. Doubt me now,” Van said in the octagon immediately after the win.
The 24-year-old Van, who is the second-youngest fighter to win a UFC title behind only all-time great Jon Jones, showed off his superior boxing skills, battering Pantoja with his fists more and more as the fight went on. The 36-year-old Pantoja won the first round according to two of the three judges with a pair of takedowns, including one in the first 20 seconds of the fight.
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However, Van kept the fight standing more after that and exhibited why he’s one of the best boxers in the UFC. Van clearly won the second and the third rounds, but things changed in the fourth when Pantoja got a takedown and kept control of Van on the ground for most of the round, even if he didn’t inflict much damage.
Thinking he might need the fifth and final round, Van dominated the last five minutes of the fight. An overhand right knocked Pantoja down with two minutes remaining and Van jumped on top and even tried for a submission, nearly locking in a kimura. Pantoja is widely regarded for his ground game as a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, while Van is looked at as more of a stand-up fighter. Van getting a submission win over Pantoja would have been shocking, which, it turns out, was exactly what Van was thinking in the moment.
“I just wanted to prove a point again,” Van said. “I did get his arm, but I don’t know how he got out of that.”
When Pantoja got back to his feet, Van landed some more punches to convincingly take the fight and cement himself as the class of the division at 125 pounds.
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This article originally published at Houston’s Joshua Van batters Alexandre Pantoja to retain flyweight title at UFC 331.
