Joshua Van shows no concern about Alexandre Pantoja 's grappling game . Scheduled for the main event of UFC 331 , scheduled for this Saturday (19), the representative of Myanmar puts the flyweight belt (up to 56,7 kg) on the line against the former champion in a rematch. Despite the Brazilian's recognized grappling expertise, the young man believes he can also have an advantage in ground fighting.
In an interview with Full Send, Joshua Van stated that he has been working specifically to neutralize the positions where Pantoja tends to be dangerous and revealed that he does not intend to back down if the fight goes to the ground.
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“We worked on defending that position, but maybe I’ll be the one to catch him in the rear-naked choke. I showed with Taira that I’m not afraid of the ground, I’ll go for a submission if it’s there,” said Joshua Van.
Watch the moment Alexandre Pantoja was injured at UFC 323.
Ending one of the greatest runs in UFC history like this sucks.
Feel horrible for Alexandre Pantoja . #UFC323
— Zach “” Schumaker (@ZachSchumaker) December 7, 2025
Joshua Van is the current UFC flyweight champion.
Joshua Van celebrates his victory against Tatsuro Taira at UFC 328. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram.
Although fans and experts questioned the merits of Joshua Van's title win – he inherited the belt after Alexandre Pantoja 's injury – the Burmese fighter gave a convincing answer inside the octagon. In his title defense against Tatsuro Taira at UFC 328 , Van faced difficulties against the Japanese fighter's strong grappling game. Even so, he showed resilience and relied on his sharp boxing to turn the tide of the fight.
In the fifth round, the champion found the right moment and knocked out his opponent, consolidating his position in the division and silencing some of the critics.
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