Joshua Van is the flyweight champion because Alexandre Pantoja's elbow gave out. That's not a criticism of Van — he caught a kick, threw the counter, and Pantoja's arm broke on the way down — but it's the reason UFC 331, on September 20 (AEST) at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, is a rematch instead of a coronation.
Referee Herb Dean waved it off in round one at UFC 323. Van, then 24, became the second-youngest champion in UFC history. Pantoja, 35 and building a case as one of the best flyweights ever, was left with nothing to say about a fight he was in the middle of losing anyway.
What actually happened at UFC 323
Van caught a high kick early in round one, elevated Pantoja and put him on the mat. As Pantoja tried to post his arm to break the fall, it snapped at the elbow. The stoppage was immediate — Dean waved it off within seconds of the injury being visible.
It's the kind of ending that leaves everyone — winner included — wanting to see it run again on a clean night.
The champion
Van, unbeaten and now the man everyone in the division is chasing, gets the chance to prove UFC 323 wasn't circumstance. A win here — a real, finished win — is the difference between a champion with an asterisk and a champion, full stop.
