Alexandre Pantoja’s second shot at Joshua Van ended the same way as the first, with the Brazilian coming up short. Pantoja failed to reclaim the flyweight title in the UFC 331 main event, with Van securing a unanimous decision victory after the judges scored the fight 49-46, 48-47, and 50-45 in his favor.
The rematch was nine months in the making after their first meeting at UFC 323 ended in disaster for Pantoja. The Brazilian suffered an elbow injury after a nasty fall just 26 seconds into the fight, leaving him without a chance to show what could have happened if the bout had continued.
UFC 331 finally gave Pantoja that opportunity, but the Brazilian could not turn it into a different result. The 25-minute contest was a back-and-forth battle, with both fighters leaving everything inside the Octagon. However, Van’s youth and pace ultimately helped him get his hand raised, leaving Pantoja with back-to-back losses.
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Still, Pantoja is choosing to look at the defeat as motivation rather than a setback. “The Cannibal” turned to the legendary fictional character Rocky Balboa for inspiration after the loss. Pantoja shared a lengthy quote from the 2006 film “Rocky Balboa” on social media late Sunday night.
The statement read, “I’ll tell you something you already know: The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows. It’s a nasty, cruel place. And it doesn’t care how tough you are. It will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it.”
It further said, “You, me, nobody hits as hard as life. But it ain’t about how hard you hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done.”
The statement concluded with, “Now if you know your worth, then go out and get what you deserve. But you gotta be willing to take the hits. And don’t point fingers and say you can’t because of him, her, or anybody. Cowards do that.”
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Pantoja also made sure to thank the fans who have continued to support him throughout the difficult stretch. He wrote, “Thank you all for your words and continued support.”
The 36-year-old now has two straight losses after putting together an impressive title reign that included four successful defenses. Pantoja has already cemented himself as one of the best flyweights of his generation, but after losing the belt and the rematch, the next chapter of his career could be very interesting.
Kshitiz Kumar Singh is a UFC Writer at NY Fights with over three years of experience in sports journalism and content creation. Known for his sharp storytelling and passion for combat sports, he has written in-depth features on stars like Brock Lesnar, Randy Couture, and Ilia Topuria. Before joining NY Fights, Kshitiz worked as a UFC Editor at EssentiallySports while currently serving as a WWE Editor at FirstSportz. His admiration for legends like Georges St-Pierre continues to inspire his detailed and engaging MMA coverage. Whether he’s covering the Octagon or the squared circle, Kshitiz is committed to delivering accurate, high-quality content. Outside the world of sports, he’s a dedicated cinephile, often found practicing monologues from his favorite Al Pacino films, combining his love for cinema with storytelling.
