Alexandre Pantoja says he is ready for Joshua Van rematch after arm injury

Alexandre Pantoja says he is ready to return to the UFC flyweight title picture after the arm injury he suffered in his fight with Joshua Van at UFC 323. The former champion has made clear that he wants another meeting with Van, who holds the belt after their December bout. Pantoja acknowledged the official result but said he does not view the contest as the final word on their rivalry. His focus now is on getting healthy, competing again and trying to regain the championship.

Pantoja described a rapid return to training after the injury, saying he went back to the gym two days later and worked with one arm. The Brazilian framed that response as part of his identity as an athlete, while also stressing that he believes he has more to accomplish in the sport. His stated goal is not simply another appearance in the division: he wants to become UFC champion again and use that platform to speak about the positive experiences from his life. The call for Van is therefore tied both to the injury-ending loss and to Pantoja’s larger pursuit of another title run.

Pantoja targets unfinished business with Van

Pantoja was direct when discussing why he wants Van next. He said he understands that he lost the fight, but added that, on a personal level, he does not believe Van beat him in the way a complete fight would have settled the matchup. The arm injury occurred early after Van caught a kick, according to the reported account, leaving Pantoja with a result he accepts on the record but continues to view as unfinished business. He said he is now in amazing shape and ready to fight. The former flyweight champion also praised Van’s subsequent work. Van defended the title in May, stopping Tatsuro Taira in the fifth round at UFC 328. Pantoja called that a very good fight and said it showed high-level skills. That defense means the rematch request comes against a champion who has continued to compete and win rather than a division paused by the circumstances of UFC 323. Pantoja’s argument is rooted in the first meeting, but Van’s victory over Taira has added another confirmed achievement to the champion’s position.

The flyweight conversation has not narrowed to only two names. Pantoja spoke positively about Manel Kape after Kape defeated Kyoji Horiguchi at UFC Vegas 119, calling Kape one of the most dangerous fights in the world at flyweight. Even so, Pantoja did not shift from his request to face Van. He also pointed to Brandon Royval and other fighters as examples of a division producing entertaining action. In Pantoja’s view, what happened to him last year made the weight class more intense, and he sees a chance to work his way through the field again. The immediate order of those potential bouts has not been stated in the supplied material, but Pantoja’s preference is clear: he wants the champion and the belt he once held.

A title picture with several active claims

Van enters the discussion as champion with a win over Pantoja and a successful defense against Taira. Pantoja enters it as the former champion seeking a rematch after an injury disrupted their first contest. Kape has also pushed his case after his victory over Horiguchi. Those facts create competing storylines without establishing who will be selected for the next title opportunity. Pantoja did not dismiss the other contenders while making his own case. Instead, he praised the level of recent flyweight fights and said the division is better than ever. His comments combined respect for the field with a firm position on Van. He wants to take the belt again, and he believes the first fight left him with a reason to ask for another chance.

• Pantoja says he is healthy after the arm injury from UFC 323 and ready to compete again.
• Pantoja says his priority is a rematch with Joshua Van and another attempt to win the UFC flyweight title.

Pantoja’s message is consistent: the UFC 323 result remains official, but he wants a second fight with Van after recovering from the arm injury. Van’s defense against Taira and Kape’s recent victory ensure that the flyweight picture contains more than one claim. Still, Pantoja has placed his own request at the center of his return, saying he is not done and wants the opportunity to become champion once more.