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Brett Okamoto
LAS VEGAS — One of the best flyweight title reigns in UFC history came to an end Saturday night in unceremonious fashion.
Joshua Van (16-2), 24, became the second-youngest champion in UFC history, as he won the 125-pound championship with a TKO finish over Alexandre Pantoja (30-6) in the co-main event of UFC 323 inside T-Mobile Arena.
The finish came just 26 seconds in, when Pantoja was injured as he tumbled to the canvas after Van caught a head-kick attempt. It marked Pantoja’s first loss in more than five years.
At his postfight news conference, UFC CEO Dana White said the injury was to Pantoja’s shoulder, which had to be popped back in after the fight. White said that Pantoja would undergo an MRI.
Charles Johnson in June 2024. Born in Myanmar and now fighting out of Houston, Van posted wins over Rei Tsuruya, Bruno Silva and Brandon Royval en route to the title shot. His three-round bout with Royval set a record for most combined strikes in UFC history at 419.
Van is also the youngest fighter to eclipse 1,000 significant strikes landed in the UFC.
«I’m so blessed,» Van said after handing his mother the UFC belt. «People of Myanmar, now the world will know of us.»
Pantoja had been in the midst of one of the greatest runs in flyweight history, even entering the conversation of best flyweight of all time with Demetrious Johnson. He won the belt in June 2023 by defeating Brandon Moreno via split decision.
