Although Joshua Van became the first Asian-born male UFC champion at UFC 323, he is not entirely satisfied with the outcome. During Alexandre Pantoja’s fifth title defense, the Brazilian injured his arm while performing a break fall against the American-Burmese just 26 seconds into the opening round. The injury forced Pantoja to stop fighting, leading the officials to call off the bout and award the victory to Joshua Van by knockout.

As a result, fans and media immediately called for a rematch, questioning the legitimacy of the Burmese-American star’s victory. Meanwhile, Nolan King reports that the UFC is now planning a trip to Japan for Van’s first title defense against Japanese sensation Tatsuro Taira, rather than arranging a rematch with Alexandre Pantoja. After the event, Joshua Van spoke out to reflect on his victory over the Brazilian.

Joshua Van reflects on his UFC 323 title win over Alexandre Pantoja

For years, Alexandre Pantoja ruled the 125-pound division, establishing himself as nearly unbeatable. During his reign, he defeated top contenders such as Brandon Moreno, Brandon Royval, Steve Erceg, Kai Asakura, and Kai Kara-France, cementing his legacy with legendary performances. Van has openly admitted he is a fan of the former champ.

Even though Dana White & Co. have not announced a rematch between Joshua Van and Alexandre Pantoja, ‘The Fearless’ insists, “Pantoja deserves a rematch.”

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“Man, it’s bittersweet, you know what I mean?,” said Joshua Van in a post-UFC event interview with Dan Hellie and Chris Weidman.”‘Cause, like I said, man, he’s the greatest of all time in my eyes, and I really wanted to feel what he’s like in the cage and things like that. So, man, it’s just crazy that that thing happened.”

Looking at Alexandre Pantoja’s latest health update, the UFC’s chief medical physician confirmed that his shoulder popped back into place on its own immediately after the injury. However, doctors still need to run a few tests in Florida, including MRIs, as Dana White mentioned in the post-UFC 323 interview.

Van claps back at his critics with bold words

Heading into UFC 323, Joshua Van entered the fight with the advantages of youth and skill, being 11 years younger than champion Alexandre Pantoja. Despite this, oddsmakers and fans heavily favored ‘The Cannibal’. However, the outcome defied expectations, as the Burmese-American emerged victorious in the flyweight division. Critics attempted to downplay his win, but Van had a blunt response.

“Fuck you,” Joshua Van said at the UFC 323 post-fight press conference.

Van also emphasized the intensity of his fight preparation, describing his camp as “kill or be killed,” which pushed him to his limits. Even with the surprising result, ‘The Fearless’ showed deep respect for Alexandre Pantoja.

“As soon as he’s recovered, I want to run it back. I respect him so much. He’s one of the greatest of all time and things like that, so I do want to run it back with him. He looked great tonight,” Joshua Van said.

Meanwhile, the UFC is reportedly gearing up for Joshua Van’s next opponent, Tatsuro Taira, who happens to be the same age as the Burmese-American. Do you think this is the right matchup, or should Alexandre Pantoja get an immediate rematch when he returns? Share your thoughts below.