What happened in this Sports story?

Former flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja headlines UFC 331 in Los Angeles on Saturday against Joshua Van, the man who took his belt via a 26-second injury TKO at UFC 323, with Pantoja entering as an underdog and a chip on his shoulder about lost recognition.

What is a key fact in this story? (1)

**Alexandre Pantoja** lost his UFC flyweight title to Joshua Van at UFC 323 in December via a 26-second TKO caused by a freak dislocated elbow when Van pushed him to the ground after catching a high kick attempt.

What is a key fact in this story? (2)

**Pantoja**, 36, had made four title defenses over a two-year span and entered the bout on an 8-fight win streak that elevated him to No. 4 in the UFC's pound-for-pound rankings, a spot he lost after the injury defeat.

Alexandre Pantoja ready to remind fans of his talent in rematch with Joshua Van at UFC 331 — SkimNews

By CBS Sports · Summarized & edited by Kapil Samant · 2026-09-19

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Alexandre Pantoja lost his UFC flyweight title to Joshua Van at UFC 323 in December via a 26-second TKO caused by a freak dislocated elbow when Van pushed him to the ground after catching a high kick attempt.
Pantoja, 36, had made four title defenses over a two-year span and entered the bout on an 8-fight win streak that elevated him to No. 4 in the UFC's pound-for-pound rankings, a spot he lost after the injury defeat.
Joshua Van, 24, has won seven consecutive fights since a 2024 KO loss to Charles Johnson, capturing the 2025 Fight of the Year against Brandon Royval and defending the title in May with a fifth-round TKO of Tatsuro Taira.
Pantoja was a nearly 3-to-1 betting favorite against Van last December but now enters Saturday's rematch as the underdog, a flip he attributes partly to Van's rapid rise and a new wave of Paramount-era fans.
Pantoja returned to training just two days after the loss with his arm in a sling and told CBS Sports he views Saturday's bout as a chance to remind the sport who he still is.
Pantoja became the first men's flyweight in UFC history to win a title bout after turning 35 and is one of only a handful of fighters to defeat Brandon Moreno, Manel Kape, Kai Kara-France, and cross-promotion signing Kai Asakura.

Why it matters: Pantoja was a 3-to-1 favorite just 13 months ago and now sits as the underdog against a 24-year-old champion riding seven straight wins — a role reversal that puts one of the most decorated flyweights in promotional history on a redemption arc while testing whether Van's meteoric rise was the new normal or the product of an injury fluke.