UFC star returns to training less than a week after nasty injury cost him UFC title

Less than a week after a gruesome arm injury cost him his flyweight belt, former UFC titleholder Alexandre Pantoja is already back in the gym.

The penultimate UFC card of the year and final PPV offering of the ESPN era took place last Saturday when UFC 323 went down at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV. Following a number of other notable results, the night’s main even saw Petr Yan reclaim the promotion’s bantamweight title when he upset Merab Dvalishvili in a rematch of their 2023 meeting.

“No Mercy” put on arguably the most impressive performance of his career to win a five-round decision over Dvalishvili. Pantoja was also unseated by Joshua Van in the night’s co-main event, but that result came after only 26 seconds of action.

Alexandre Pantoja Returns To Training The Week After UFC 323

Many fans were eager to see if the 24-year-old Van could upset a long-reigning champion in Pantoja, but the UFC 323 co-main event ended disappointingly when “The Cannibal” reached out to break a fall during the opening 30 seconds and suffered an elbow injury that brought things to a premature end.

The result was a shocking and anticlimactic way for Pantoja’s title reign to come to end, as he had already defended his flyweight belt on four occasions after winning it from Brandon Moreno at UFC 290. Less than a week removed from the loss and sporting a brace on his left arm, the Brazilian recently posted footage of himself getting some kettlebell work in at the gym.

“You don’t understand what kind of a man I am”

Who Will Joshua Van Fight Next?

Although inaugural UFC Flyweight Champion Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson is still considered by most fans to be the greatest 125 lbs. fighter of all time, many felt that Pantoja could be approaching divisional GOAT status with what was a largely dominant reign as champion.

It likely wasn’t how he envisioned winning the title, but Van was visibly emotional in the immediate aftermath of the fight even before he had the flyweight belt wrapped around his waist. “Fearless” only joined the UFC in 2023, and after UFC 323 he is now on a six-fight win streak and has only suffered one loss inside the Octagon.

Joshua Van (blue gloves) reacts after the fight against Alexandre Pantoja (red gloves) during UFC 323 at T-Mobile Arena. | Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

If Pantoja is sidelined for an extended period, Van may find himself facing a different name for his first title defense. Tatsuro Taira made a case for a flyweight title shot at UFC 323 when he earned a controversial victory over former titleholder Moreno, and top-ranked flyweight contenders Manel Kape and Brandon Royval are also set to meet this weekend in the final UFC fight of 2025.

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