๐ฅ Flyweight Title Bout: Joshua Van vs Alexandre Pantoja
๐ฒ๐ฒ Joshua Van (17-2)
๐ 4oz. Fight Club
๐ 5'5" | Age: 24
๐๏ธ Last: Win vs Tatsuro Taira (TKO, May 2026)
๐งจ 9 KO/TKO, 2 SUB, 6 DEC
๐ Combat Edge ELO: 1,801 (Great, #
4# FLW)
Won the belt at UFC 323 when Pantoja's shoulder gave out. Myanmar's first UFC champion and, at 24, a dozen years younger than the man across from him โ relentless volume with real pop (9 KOs).
๐ง๐ท Alexandre Pantoja (30-6)
๐ American Top Team
๐ 5'5" | Age: 36
๐๏ธ Last: Loss vs Joshua Van (TKO, Dec 2025)
๐งจ 8 KO/TKO, 12 SUB, 10 DEC
๐ Combat Edge ELO: 1,808 (Great, #
1# FLW)
The division's longest-reigning champ before Van and still its #
1# by ELO. A world-class grappler with 12 submissions who wants this rematch to prove the first result was the injury, not the better man.
๐ The Combat Edge read: model gives champ Joshua Van 72% โ the market only ~59% (-142). ELO alone splits it near dead even (Pantoja by a whisker, 1808 vs 1801), but the model leans hard to the younger champ's volume and momentum. One of five fights where the model overrules ELO.
Full breakdown + prediction ๐