The final pay-per-view of the ESPN era brings a changing-of-the-guard energy with it, and no matchup captures that shift better than Alexandre Pantoja vs. Joshua Van. One is a champion who climbed the mountain the hard way, starting his UFC journey in 2017 and capturing the flyweight crown in 2023. The other is a 24-year-old prodigy who insists the moment is no accident.

As Van recently stated in an interview with CBS Sports, “It ain’t too soon, it’s perfect timing. I’m just well prepared. I’m very, very excited for this fight, bringing in the new era of fighters.”

So here we are: a 35-year-old champion who refuses to fade, meeting a 24-year-old with a pace that seems designed to break the sport’s clock. Will experience hold the line? Or is this the night the flyweight division flips the page? Let’s see how they stack up as we break down their stats, fighting styles, and our prediction for this highly anticipated showdown!

Alexandre Pantoja vs Joshua Van’s height, weight, reach, and more stats

Despite identical height, Alexandre Pantoja carries a longer reach and significantly more experience with 35 pro fights vs. Van’s 17 total bouts. His grappling metrics dwarf Van’s, especially in takedown volume and submission rate. But the Burmese contender answers with pure firepower: nearly 9 significant strikes per minute, more than double the champion’s output.

So the question becomes: does volume eclipse control, or will Pantoja’s experience slow the younger man’s storm?

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Pantoja vs Van style breakdown for UFC 323

At first glance, this is the classic veteran-versus-upstart narrative, but the stylistic contrast makes it even more intriguing. Alexandre Pantoja is enjoying a late-career resurgence that few expected. After winning his belt at 33, often the age at which flyweights begin to decline, he instead rattled off four defenses and climbed the pound-for-pound ranks. Even now at 35, he shows almost no signs of slowing.

Joshua Van walks into the cage as the youngest flyweight title challenger in several years and perhaps one of the busiest, with the UFC 323 bout set to make it eighteen professional fights in four years for ‘The Fearless’. Five straight UFC wins. A knockout loss in 2024 was answered by a victory just eight weeks later. He lives in forward motion, both in schedule and striking output.

The champion’s game is controlled chaos as he uses slick jiu-jitsu wrapped in wild pressure. He’ll hit a foot sweep into a back take and then moments later swing looping hooks like he’s chasing a street fight. His chin, durability, and improved kicking game make the madness workable.

On the other side of the equation, Joshua Van is the sharper boxer. He builds combinations like a craftsman, mixing body shots and counters with a relentless pace. But beneath the technique is a brawler’s heart as he’s happy to stand, trade, and test the waters of chaos. His key? Survive.

If he can stuff or at least escape ’The Cannibal’s early takedowns, the fight swings dramatically. We’ve seen Pantoja slow before. If Van can rip the body, force the champion backward, and keep combinations flowing, momentum becomes a weapon for him at UFC 323. With all that being said, what’s the prediction for this bout?

Prediction for UFC 323 co-main event

There’s little doubt Van will fight for a UFC title again if he loses. His rise is too fast, his skill set too modern, his chin and pace too stubborn. But this matchup? It feels like a bad draw at the wrong time.

Alexandre Pantoja remains freakishly durable and grappling-oriented in a division built on scrambles. His last two opponents, Kai Kara-France and Kai Asakura, were bigger, stronger, and more experienced than Van, and even they were overwhelmed. And the young challenger has yet to show the jiu-jitsu savvy to threaten Pantoja off his back or consistently escape deep grappling sequences.

As such, our prediction leans towards Alexandre Pantoja defending his title via late submission or dominant decision. But the bigger question is yours: is UFC 323 the night the flyweight division gets a new face, or will ‘The Cannibal’ remind the world why experience still matters? Let us know in the comments below!