Freak finish at UFC 323 as Joshua Van snatches flyweight title in 26 Seconds. The Octagon barely opened before history was made. In just 26 seconds, a terrifying arm injury ended Alexandre Pantoja’s title reign and handed the belt to Joshua Van proving once more that in the UFC, anything can happen.
Las Vegas was light up once again as the T-Mobile Arena hosted UFC 323 on Saturday, December 6, 2025. The spotlight shined on the flyweight co-main event, where reigning champion Alexandre Pantoja faced off against rising contender Joshua Van in a battle that ended earlier than expected.
Pantoja entered the fight riding a strong run. Most recently, on June 28, 2025, he defended his flyweight title against Kai Kara‑France, locking in a third-round rear-naked choke to retain his belt Before that, on December 7, 2024, he submitted Kai Asakura in the second round, another convincing defense. Going further back, he has compiled several successful defenses, high-level wins, and maintained a reputation as one of the top flyweights in the UFC. According to his profile he carried a 30-5 record heading into this fight.
At just 24, Van already holds a strong 15-2 professional record, and has rapidly climbed through the flyweight ranks. In 2025, Van has been on a tear, he scored a TKO win over Bruno Silva in June, and then in late June defeated former top contender Brandon Royval by unanimous decision, a battle many consider one of the most exciting flyweight fights of the year. Van’s style, fast-paced and striking have earned him respect and momentum. In interviews, Pantoja admitted Van’s run has impressed him.
The fight started with Pantoja aggressively trying to establish his striking rhythm, throwing a head-kick attempt in the opening exchanges. Van responded quickly, catching the kick and pushing Pantoja off balance during a scramble. As Pantoja went down, he landed awkwardly on his left arm and immediately signaled pain, clutching the limb as soon as he touched the mat. The referee rushed in and waved off the bout, giving Van the win. Replays showed a serious injury and Pantoja’s arm bent unnaturally, later it was described as a dislocation possibly involving elbow injury.
“Now the world will never forget Joshua Van and the people of Myanmar, now the world will know of us,” Van said. “And I love you, mom!” He says he wasn’t fully aware of what happened, but saw the ref indicating something was wrong. “He’s one of the greatest of all time and I didn’t want the fight to go that way,” Van said. “Maybe the UFC will figure something out.” He’s asked if he’s interested in fighting Tatsuro Taira and he says he’ll fight whoever is put in front of him.
With the stoppage, Joshua Van becomes the new UFC Flyweight Champion, making history as one of the youngest champs in UFC history. Arise from contender to champion in under a minute. For Pantoja, what looked like another routine title defense or a chance to cement his legacy as a dominant flyweight ended in heartbreak. The injury stops not just the fight, but forces a recovery and uncertainty about a return date.
Check out UFC 323 results below.
Main card
Petr Yan def. Merab Dvalishvili via unanimous decision (49-46 x2, 48-47)
Joshua Van def. Alexandre Pantoja via first-round TKO (injury) (0:26)
Tatsuro Taira def. Brandon Moreno via second-round TKO (2:24)
Payton Talbott def. Henry Cejudo via unanimous decision (30-27 x3)
Jan Blachowicz vs. Bogdan Guskov via majority draw (29-28, 28-28 x2)
Prelims
Manuel Torres def. Grant Dawson via first-round KO (2:25)
Chris Duncan def. Terrance McKinney via submission (anaconda) (R1, 2:30)
Maycee Barber def. Karine Silva via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28 x2)
Fares Ziam def. Nazim Sadykhov via second-round TKO (4:59)
Brunno Ferreira def. Marvin Vettori via unanimous decision (29-28 x3)
Jalin Turner def. Edson Barboza via first-round TKO (2:24)
Iwo Baraniewski def. Ibo Aslan via first-round KO (1:29)
Mansur Abdul-Malik def. Antonio Trocoli via submission (standing guillotine) (R1, 1:09)
Mairon Santos def. Muhammad Naimov via third-round TKO (0:21)
