Pantoja Seeks UFC 331 Title Revenge Against Van 9 Months After 26-Second Injury Loss
Updated
Updated · CBS Sports · Sep 17
Pantoja Seeks UFC 331 Title Revenge Against Van 9 Months After 26-Second Injury Loss
3 articles · Updated · CBS Sports · Sep 17
Summary
Alexandre Pantoja enters Saturday's UFC 331 main event in Los Angeles chasing the flyweight belt he lost when a dislocated elbow ended his first fight with Joshua Van after 26 seconds at UFC 323.
Two days after that loss, the 36-year-old said he was back in the gym with one arm in a sling, using constant training and physical therapy to prepare for the rematch.
Pantoja argues Van "didn't beat me" in the traditional sense, saying the injury-driven TKO erased a reign that included four title defenses and dropped him from the UFC pound-for-pound rankings.
Van, 24, has surged into stardom with seven straight wins since a 2024 knockout loss, including a Fight of the Year against Brandon Royval and a fifth-round TKO over Tatsuro Taira in May.
The rematch flips the betting picture: Pantoja was nearly a 3-to-1 favorite last December but now enters as the underdog against a champion backed by a fast-growing fan base.