In the co-main event of UFC 323 we are going to see a really fun matchup for the flyweight title. Champion and P4P great Alexandre Pantoja (30-5) will be looking for his fifth successful title defense as he takes on top young contender Joshua Van (15-2).
Joshua Van fighting for a world title was definitely something I saw happening. That said, Joshua Van fighting for a UFC title in 2025 was not on my bingo card. The 24-year-old started the year strong with two wins over Rei Tsuruya and Bruno Silva.
However, then he got a call that changed everything. He was asked to fight top contender Brandon Royval on very short notice. Van stepped up and took the fight. Just weeks after beating Silva, Van put on the performance of his career and won a decision over Royval to earn this shot at the flyweight title.
Now, he faces the best in the world in Pantoja. From July 2019 to July 2020, Alexandre Pantoja had a tough 12 months. He went just 1-2 with losses to Askar Askarov and Deiveson Figueiredo. However, since then, he’s been an absolute monster.
Pantoja is 8-0 since then including 5-0 in title fights. During this stretch, he’s defeated Brandon Royval twice, beaten Manel Kape, beaten Brandon Moreno, and then he’s been nothing short of dominant during this UFC title reign. At 35, he just keeps getting better.
UFC 323 Prediction
Joshua Van has all the makings of a world champion. He has very good striking, he has great scrambling ability, and his overall game is just extremely well-rounded. However, there are still some flaws in his game and I’m not sure if he’s had the proper time to close those holes before this massive challenge.
Van has tremendous striking but he also gets hit a ton. He scrambles really well, but he can be taken down. I just don’t know if he’s ready for the challenge that’s in front of him tomorrow night. I think you’ll see Van have moments, but I think this UFC 323 title fight is just going to be too much too soon.
I think the overall game and championship experience is going to dictate the outcome for Pantoja. I see Pantoja landing on the feet and using his superior strength and cardio throughout. Van will land shots, but Pantoja is going to wear him down. Ultimately, I see a late finish for the current UFC flyweight champion.
I think that Joshua Van will be a champion one day, but that day won’t be tomorrow night.
Prediction: Alexandre Pantoja by TKO
More about: MMA
