“I didn’t know what happened. He just stopped,” Joshua Van recalled his bout with Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 323 in Las Vegas. But it was not only Van who was surprised at the early stoppage against the division’s best. Instead, as a grotesque arm injury replay blared through the live stream, even the toughest of UFC stars couldn’t help but flinch.

‘The Cannibal’ had attempted a head kick that went the wrong way as he hit the ground. Posting his palm on the landing, replays showed his left elbow bent inwards. All of this unfolded in mere 26 seconds, but that was more than enough to leave the likes of Tom Aspinall and Sean O’Malley wide-eyed.

Israel Adesanya, Tom Aspinall, and Sean O’Malley call to stop the replays

A video clip shared by Happy Punch brought forward the combined reactions of the UFC division greats, and unironically, all had the same reaction to the live replay. As the footage showed up, Israel Adesanya couldn’t resist audibly gasping at the clear elbow dislocation.

Cut to Tom Aspinall, who was confused at the first register, but froze at the spine-chilling rewatch. “Oh my god. That’s disgusting. I don’t even wanna watch it again, that 2 times is enough for me. Jesus,” he exclaimed.

Sean O’Malley’s response was just the same, as he put Joshua Van on the spotlight. “Van, I mean, you can’t celebrate that too much. I mean, you don’t wanna win that like that if you’re Van.” As he covered his eyes with his palm, he continued, “I can’t look. Are they f—-ing showing it?”

Apparently, the footage was not only unbearable for the audience but also for the UFC stars, who have witnessed some of the most brutal injuries. That only goes on to show the severity of the mishap.

As the UFC commentators watched from the stands, Joe Rogan’s reaction was more disbelief than utter shock. Getting a first-hand look at the fight, when the reports mistakenly declared a dislocated shoulder, Rogan was taken aback, “Doesn’t even make sense, we saw his elbow like literally leave the joint!” Daniel Cormier agreed with Rogan.

However, inside the Octagon, Pantoja’s opponent hadn’t clocked the issue just yet. While he knew something was wrong, it was Pantoja struggling with agonizing pain on the ground that brought Van to his senses, who later refused to celebrate his victory.  “I don’t want the fight to go that way,” he acknowledged.

But, while the fandom is still left reeling, Alexandre Pantoja is already back online, taking accountability and eyeing his comeback, which he believes is sooner than we expect.

Alexandre Pantoja releases statement on UFC 323 shoulder injury

Not a day has passed since Pantoja’s injury, and the former flyweight champion is already picking up the shards from the last bout as he unravels what exactly went wrong. Right after his bout, he took to Instagram to express his gratitude to his fans. He followed that on Sunday with a more detailed explanation of how things unfolded from his perspective.

“There has never been a lack of fight in my life, and once again I will fight against the odds. We’ll be back sooner than you think!!!” Pantoja captioned the video, detailing the fight. He explained that entering the Octagon, he had never felt so comfortable before, being in his best shape. The training camp prior to the Vegas clash was just as remarkable; when he saw Van on the other side of the cage, he was confident he’d get the finish in the first round.

But a minute miscalculation and the tides shifted. Describing it as an “accident,” he noted that he found solace in his wife and his faith, as he connected with them. In fact, Pantoja already seems hungry to work his way up to the top, as he concluded the video: “I just want to work very hard and bring my belt to my home again. I appreciate everybody. Tomorrow, fly back home, Monday I start to follow my dream again.”

Sure enough, Pantoja has been through hell with his body and bounced all the way back. Right after booking his fight with Neil Seery at UFC 113, a training camp mishap dislocated his right elbow. Despite undergoing brutal physical therapy, he refused to pull out, eventually submitting Seery. Through every setback, Pantoja proves once again that his spirit is unbreakable and his climb back to the top is already underway. Can Pantoja reclaim his spot at the top? Drop your thoughts.