Joshua Van retained the UFC mixed martial arts flyweight title after defeating former champion Alexandre Pantoja by unanimous decision in their bout in Los Angeles, ending the controversy surrounding his initial title win over his Brazilian rival because of an early injury.
The first bout gave Van the title after an early injury
The fighters’ first meeting, in December last year, ended after just 26 seconds when Pantoja suffered a dislocated elbow. That ending handed Van the flyweight title without a decisive victory over the Brazilian, who had dominated the division for more than two years. Van, 24, and from Myanmar, defended his belt against Tatsuro Taira in May.
But the UFC’s first champion from Myanmar waited for the 36-year-old Pantoja to recover before they met again on Saturday, when he confirmed his superiority in a full bout. After his second title defence, Van improved his professional mixed martial arts record to 18 wins and two defeats.
Van takes the final rounds despite Pantoja’s strong start
He said after the bout: “Many people said the previous victory was a fluke... Well, doubt me now.” Pantoja started strongly, taking Van to the ground in the first round before landing powerful punches and knee strikes during an intense exchange.
The champion responded with a powerful elbow strike before his coaches urged him during the interval not to be drawn into an open exchange, telling him: “You’re better than getting into a brawl with this man,” and calling on him to adopt a more tactical approach. Van followed his team’s instructions in the second round, raining left-handed straight punches on his opponent.
He continued to apply pressure in the third round, rocking Pantoja with a succession of punches and making use of his speed and accuracy. Pantoja regained the initiative in the fourth round and took Van to the ground, but failed to force him to submit. In the fifth and final round, Van pursued his opponent and dropped him with a right-hand punch, strengthening his advantage and securing a unanimous decision victory.
