Joshua Van reveals the reality check he had when facing Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 331.

Alexandre Pantoja (left) before his first fight with Joshua Van (right). Photo: Reproduction/Instagram/

PUBLICITY:

Joshua Van had a different perception of Alexandre Pantoja when he shared the octagon with the Brazilian at UFC 331 , held last Saturday (19). On that occasion, the flyweight champion (up to 56,7 kg) put the belt on the line in a rematch against the Brazilian and, despite having emerged victorious , admitted that the experience inside the cage was very different from what he imagined when watching his rival's fights on television.

In an interview with Ariel Helwani, Joshua Van explained that he only understood Pantoja's characteristics when he had to face him. According to the champion, his perception of the Brazilian from televised fights did not match what he felt during the confrontation.

See too

Renato Moicano highlights the important decision for Alexandre Pantoja after his defeat at UFC 331.

Arman Tsarukyan gets the green light for his dream fight in the UFC.

Valter Walker surprises everyone by throwing Ciryl Gane against Josh Hokit at UFC 334.

“I have to be in the cage with him to find out. Sometimes what you see on TV and what you feel in the Octagon is different. Pantoja, on TV, he got beat up badly, you know what I mean? But in the Octagon… I’m like, ‘Holy shit, how the hell does that hit me?’”, said Joshua Van.

Alexandre Pantoja suffers another defeat to Joshua Van

Alexandre Pantoja was injured at UFC 323. Photo: UFC Eurasia

PUBLICITY:

In December, Pantoja suffered an arm injury just 26 seconds into the fight, losing both the bout and the title. Since there was no rematch, the Brazilian was confident he would get revenge on Van in the rematch, but that didn't happen. Increasingly comfortable as flyweight champion, the Burmese proved his worth and defended his title for the second time.

Johnny Walker opens up about his heavyweight debut at UFC 332.