All throughout 2025, Dana White & Co. have delivered some of the most stacked UFC cards in recent memory. And with even more still to come, we now stand in August, with Christmas 143 days away. That might seem like a distant target, but behind the scenes, Dana White & Co. already appear to be shaping up a potential blockbuster to close out the year. At present, the latest officially announced pay-per-view is UFC 321, set for October 25, 2025.

However, just last week, Khabib Nurmagomedov offered a teasing glimpse of UFC 322, likely pegged for the UFC’s traditional Madison Square Garden return. Though the promotion has yet to make any announcements, the buzz hasn’t stopped there. Veteran insiders have already sparked fresh speculation by hinting at a stacked UFC 323 card to close out the year in Las Vegas.

UFC’s December blockbuster stirs buzz as insiders spill details before Dana White

December is still a few months away, but UFC veterans Chael Sonnen and Daniel Cormier haven’t hesitated to discuss what could be in store. On their Good Guy / Bad Guy podcast, the pair explored ideas for the December pay-per-view—floating the possibility of a three-title-fight card for UFC 323. Chael Sonnen said he “strongly believes” the lineup could feature high-stakes women’s bouts like Amanda Nunes vs. Kayla Harrison and Weili Zhang vs. Valentina Shevchenko.

Daniel Cormier then added a compelling third matchup, saying: “So what about the end-of-the-year card? Amanda vs. Kayla, Valentina, and Josh Van vs. Pantoja in the co-main event.” He based that pick on Joshua Van’s drive to seize gold, describing him as the kind of fighter who can “turn around quick.” Nothing is official yet, but flyweight king Alexandre Pantoja may soon defend his title again — this time against what could be his toughest challenge yet: Joshua Van.

At UFC 317, both men fought in separate bouts. Alexandre Pantoja defended his belt by defeating Brandon Royval, while Van made a statement by submitting Kai Kara-France. While the December card is still in the works, Joshua Van recently added fuel to the buzz. In a conversation with UFC announcer Bruce Buffer, he confidently laid out his plans for the months ahead: “Yeah, I’ll be—I’ll become a champion this year. By the end of this year.”

At just 23 years old, the Myanmar-born flyweight has compiled nine UFC wins in under two years since making his debut. From the start, Van targeted a fight before October 10 in hopes of matching Jon Jones’ record as the youngest champion in Dana White’s promotion’s history. But with the promotion eyeing a December date instead, that historic milestone may now be just out of reach.

Joshua Van sends clear warning to flyweight king Alexandre Pantoja

Alexandre Pantoja stands as one of the few champions who may now be facing the paradox of success. With an eight-fight win streak and four successful title defenses, the Brazilian has effectively cleaned out the flyweight division. He’s held the throne since July 2023, with few fresh challengers left in sight.

In an effort to shake things up, Dana White and the UFC brass turned to outside prospects — most notably Japanese standout Kai Asakura. But even Asakura failed to match Pantoja’s relentless wrestling. Now, rising star Joshua Van believes he could be the one to finally solve the Pantoja puzzle.

Though their fighting styles couldn’t be more different, ‘The Fearless’ is confident that his approach is the antidote to the champ’s grappling dominance. Speaking candidly on The Ariel Helwani Show, Joshua Van declared: “There’s no one like me. The fighting style that I bring, the no respect — I don’t give respect to nobody in that cage. I respect [Pantoja] as a man, I respect what he’s done in our division. But when we fight, there’s no respect at all.”

With the timeline for Alexandre Pantoja vs. Joshua Van now taking shape, how do you see this clash unfolding? Aside from Van’s youth, what specific weapons in his game could pose real problems for the reigning champ, Dan? Share your take below.