UFC 331 was a night to remember as Joshua Van strengthened his grip on the flyweight title with a decision win over Alexandre Pantoja. The 24-year-old had plenty to prove after his UFC 323 victory in December 2025 ended with Pantoja suffering an unfortunate elbow injury and being unable to continue.
Since then, Van has continued to silence his doubters. From his fight of the year contender against Tatsuro Taira to his latest win over Pantoja in Los Angeles, the young champion has shown that he has the heart and skill to compete at the highest level. More importantly, his rise is a huge positive for the 125-pound division, which has spent years fighting for relevance amid questions about its marketability.
Dana White Raves About Joshua Van After UFC 331
The change in mood became even clearer after UFC 331 when Dana White hailed Van as a game-changing presence for the division. After watching the champion put on another exciting performance, the UFC CEO could barely contain his excitement during the post-fight press conference.
He said, “It was incredible. He’s the greatest thing ever for that division, too. He brings a lot of flash and excitement and fun to the division. That was a great fight.”
White was also impressed by how much Van has evolved since becoming champion, particularly his takedown defense against Pantoja. He said, “If you look at how the fight ended with that freak injury, which sucks. It’s a bad way to win and a bad way to lose. Then he goes out and defends. He just keeps looking more and more confident. How about the takedown defense? Unbelievable.”
He added, “How about the escape from mount? The kid looks incredible. He looks better every time he fights, and that’s what it takes to be a long-reigning champion. You have to look better every time out. Especially against a guy like Pantoja.”
What made the UFC 331 main event even more impressive was that the bad blood between Van and Pantoja actually translated inside the Octagon. It wasn’t just another hyped-up grudge match that failed to live up to the buildup. UFC history has seen plenty of those, including Ken Shamrock vs. Dan Severn 2, Francis Ngannou vs. Derrick Lewis, and Colby Covington vs. Jorge Masvidal.
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Van and Pantoja, however, delivered when it mattered. The fight lived up to the rivalry, and White rewarded it with a massive compliment by calling it the best grudge match in UFC history.
He said, “To be honest with you, when you think about all the grudge matches that have happened in UFC history: How many of them actually were great?” White said. “If you wanted to call tonight a grudge match, this is probably the greatest grudge match in the history of the UFC.”
The flyweight division has come a long way. From Demetrious Johnson’s infamous trade to ONE Championship for former welterweight champion Ben Askren to the Brandon Moreno and Deiveson Figueiredo era, the 125-pound division has gone through plenty of uncertainty. Now, with Van leading the way, the future of the division looks brighter than it has in years.
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.
