Chaos arrived in all forms at UFC 323, but none more disturbing or consequential than the sudden, gruesome end to Alexandre Pantoja’s flyweight title reign.
The co-main event between Pantoja and 24-year-old phenom Joshua Van lasted a mere 26 seconds before disaster struck. After absorbing a head kick, Van caught the champion’s leg and forced him backward to the canvas. As Pantoja posted with his arm to break the fall, it appeared his elbow violently dislocated or broke on impact. The shocking scene immediately halted the action and handed the champion his first loss over the past eight fights.
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Before Saturday’s broadcast ended, UFC officials clarified that Pantoja had actually suffered a dislocated shoulder rather than an elbow injury. Speaking at UFC 323’s post-fight press conference, UFC CEO Dana White confirmed the update and cautioned that he wouldn’t expect the now-former champion to return in time for an immediate rematch.
“They popped his shoulder back in,” White said. “I thought it was the elbow. No, it was not the elbow — it was his shoulder, and they popped it back in backstage. Now they’ve got to do MRIs and check out the ligaments and see how it is. We don’t have a timeframe on how long he’ll be out.”
“No matter what happened, listen, I’m no f***ing doctor or anything, but I don’t see him coming back anytime soon,” White added. “I think that there would be a Dana White gives update on Alexandre Pantoja’s injury, while Joshua Van sends blunt message to critics: ‘F*** them’ defense [by Van] before he comes back. I think he’s going to need some time.”
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With the victory, Van becomes the second-youngest champion in UFC history — a meteoric rise punctuated by four wins in 2025 and a six-fight overall streak. Yet even in triumph, the new champion wasn’t satisfied with how the moment unfolded.
“This whole week it was kill or be killed. I knew I was going to win the fight, but I didn’t want the fight to end that way, for sure,” Van said. “As soon as [Pantoja] is recovered, I want to run it back. I respect him so much, and he’s one of the greatest of all time.
“It doesn’t matter [if he’s next], but I feel like he deserves it. Whatever the UFC wants is what I’m going to do next, but I do want to run it back with him, for sure.”
Van’s first challenger in the interim appears likely to be Japan’s Tatsuro Taira, who secured the biggest win of his career at UFC 323 by defeating former two-time flyweight champion Brandon Moreno.
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Still, Van’s priority remains on proving himself, no matter how many times he needs to do it.
And for anyone questioning his legitimacy as champion, he had a blunt message.
“F*** them,” Van said. “If you do good, they will talk s***, and if you do bad, they will talk s***. So go and do what makes you happy. It don’t matter what they think, man. I won.”
