Alexandre Pantoja vs Joshua Van Prediction – Will the Cannibal defend his title once again?

Alexandre Pantoja faces Joshua Van for the fifth defence of his UFC Flyweight Championship title. This title fight is second on the bill at UFC 323 and promises to be one of the highlights of the evening. Pantoja is the huge favourite to defend his belt, but will have to guard against complacency against the talented and exciting Van.

We’re going to look at how this fight might play out and if the Fearless stands any chance against the current Flyweight Champion. Will Pantoja make light work of his opponent? Or can Van manage to cause a shock at UFC 323? Read on to find our Alexandre Pantoja vs Joshua Van prediction.

Alexandre Pantoja is taking on the fifth defence of his Flyweight Championship title, a belt he’s held since July 2023. UFC 290 saw Pantoja beat Brandon Moreno, with the Cannibal picking up the title after winning by Split Decision. In the first defence of his title at UFC 296, Pantoja beat Brandon Royval by unanimous decision, which was followed by a further successful defence at UFC 301, with a victory by unanimous decision against Steve Erceg.

His latest defence of his title came at UFC 317. Facing Kai Kara-France, Pantoja won by choke submission in the third Round. In doing so, the Cannibal broke a variety of records, including Most Submission Victories, Most Wins and Overall Finishes in the UFC Flyweight Division.

Joshua Van, though, is certainly an exciting talent. He currently has a UFC record of 15-2-0 and will be hopeful of continuing his excellent recent form. He’s currently ranked Number 1 in the UFC Flyweight rankings, and a victory here would be absolutely huge.

There are many who doubt if Van can cope with the aggressive grappling style of Pantoja. The latter has a record 30-5-0, with 12 of those victories coming By Submission. To build our Alexandre Pantoja vs Joshua Van prediction, we’ve analysed both fighter styles and previous form which could indicate how this match up might unfold.

What is the latest news?

We’re in for a thrilling match up between Pantoja and Van. Will the experience of current Champion Pantoja outsmart the youthful exuberance of Van? Or can Van cause a shock in the Octagon? For our Alexandre Pantoja vs Joshua Van prediction, we’ve researched each fighter’s overall UFC records as well as their recent form.

Alexandre Pantoja – The Cannibal to hold his title once more?

• Stats:
• Record: 30-5-0
• Wins By Knockout: 8
• Wins By Submission: 12
• First Round Finishes: 10
• Last Five Bouts: W W W W W

When it comes to the Flyweight Division, Pantoja is in a class of his own. He holds the record for most wins in this division, with 14 so far. He also has the highest number of Finishes with 8, as well as most Submission wins at Flyweight with 6.

Pantoja also has the second longest Win Streak in the Division with eight consecutive victories, second only to Demetrious Johnson.

While many are predicting another successful title defence, Pantoja will have to watch out for his opponent’s incredibly striking accuracy and speed.

Joshua Van – Can The Fearless shake up the Flyweight Division?

• Stats:
• Record: 15-2-0
• Wins By Knockout: 7
• Wins By Submission: 2
• First Round Finishes: 2
• Last Five Bouts: W W W W W

While few would give Joshua Van a chance of taking the Flyweight Championship belt at UFC 323, he certainly is capable of causing Pantoja problems. Van’s Significant Strike and Strike Accuracy records are incredible, including the record for highest number of significant strikes landed per minute in UFC history.

Whether this will be enough for the current Flyweight number 1 to win the title is yet to be seen. Van will certainly have to be at his exciting best to stand a chance against the experience and know-how of Pantoja. How Van’s defence will hold up will be key to this title bout.

Who is on the rest of the Fight card?

The main event of UFC 323 sees Merab Dvalishvili defend his Bantamweight title against Petr Yan in a hugely anticipated match up. Before our Pantoja vs Van Flyweight title fight, we’ll see Henry Cejudo take on Payton Talbott at Bantamweight, the Flyweight match up between Brandon Moreno and Tatsuro Taira and the Light Heavyweight clash between Jan Blachowicz and Bogdan Guskov.

The pick of the Prelims sees Maycee Barber up against Karine Silva in the Women’s Flyweight Division, with the Middleweight battle between Marvin Vetteri and Brunno Ferreira also a clash to look forward to.

Where to watch Alexandre Pantoja vs Joshua Van

To see if our Alexandre Pantoja vs Joshua Van prediction is accurate, there are a range of broadcasters who will be showing the fight live. The main card, including Pantoja vs Joshua Van, is Pay Per View in many countries. Take a look below for a list of official UFC broadcasters from across the globe. Note that text commentary is also available on the UFC official website. Some sports betting sites will also provide text commentary, as well as up-to-date graphics displays and statistics of the latest action.

• UFC Fight Pass – Global
• USA – PPV
• UK – TNT Box Office
• Mexico – Fighting Sports Network
• Brazil – Fight Pass
• India – Sony Ten
• UAE – Abu Dhabi Media
• Poland – Polsat Sports
• Canada – Sportsnet

Prediction for Alexandre Pantoja vs Joshua Van

So, for our Alexandre Pantoja vs Joshua Van betting tip we’ve analysed all the information above. While Joshua Van is certainly one of the most exciting talents to emerge in the Octagon in recent years, this title fight against Alexandre Pantoja is surely a step too far. Can we see Van challenging in the future? Absolutely, but Pantoja’s experience and previous defences of his title see him as the clear favourite for a fifth title defence. Pantoja’s Submission record is phenomenal and it’s difficult to see how Joshua Van will be able to handle his opponent’s grappling style.