Joshua Van justified the celebration after Alexandre Pantoja 's injury at UFC 323, held last Saturday (6). The representative of Myanmar faced the Brazilian in the co-main event and saw his rival accidentally break his arm in a fall after only 26 seconds of combat. With the result, the prospect was declared the new flyweight champion (up to 56,7 kg) and celebrated immediately, an attitude that generated criticism among fans.
In an interview with Ariel Helwani, the fighter stated that the reaction was instinctive, a result of the euphoria of winning the belt, but that he realized the gravity of the situation when he saw Pantoja lying on the ground. According to him, he approached the Brazilian to apologize, acknowledged his greatness as champion, and expressed his desire for a rematch.
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“It was a confusing moment, right? I beat him and I was happy. I was celebrating, of course, like when you realize you just won. Then I look at him and he's lying there, and I feel like talking to him. I said, 'Dude, I'm really sorry. Let's do it again. You're a great champion,'” explained Joshua Van.
Pantoja may not get a rematch, and Joshua Van may have another opponent in the UFC.
Despite Alexandre Pantoja 's dominance in the division and the way the fight ended, the natural scenario would be for the UFC to schedule a rematch to settle the score for the flyweight title. However, in the post-event press conference, Dana White indicated that he will likely go in a different direction.
The UFC president stated that the Brazilian will likely be sidelined for an extended period, which should prompt the organization to offer Joshua Van a new challenger . Among the names being considered are Japanese fighter Tatsuro Taira , who knocked out Brandon Moreno on the same card, and the winner of the fight between Manel Kape and Brandon Royval , scheduled for next Saturday at UFC Vegas 112.
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