UFC flyweight champion Joshua Van put on an impressive performance at UFC 331, beating former 125 pound kingpin Alexandre Pantoja soundly on the scorecards for his second title defense. There were a lot of questions as to whether Van would be able to handle Pantoja, but the 24 year old champ passed this test with flying colors, and he did it despite a bad shoulder injury that prevented him from having a proper training camp.
Van detailed the injury during the UFC 331 post-fight press conference, noting
that he injured the shoulder in mid-August.
“Coming into this fight, after the press conference in Philly, I tore my AC joint in my right shoulder and I couldn’t even spar,” Van said. “So, the last two weeks was my first time sparring. This camp we did nothing but cardio, just running and stuff like that. I got to go back there and get MRIs and get checked up. So hopefully nothing major.”
The acromioclavicular (AC) joint isn’t as important to shoulder function as the glenohumeral joint, but training through an AC shoulder tear en route to fighting one of the greatest flyweights of all time is one hell of a flex from Van. Maybe it even helped? All that extra cardio definitely paid off in Los Angeles. While both men put on an impressive pace for 25 minutes, Van looked fresher by the end and was able to keep his striking sharp and swift in the face of endless Pantoja blitzes.
While he’ll have to wait and see what his medicals say regarding the injury, Van isn’t showing any sign that he wants to slow down. He fought four times in 2025 and twice in 2026. If Van has his way, he’ll probably be back in the cage sooner rather than later.
“As of right now, man, I just love fighting so much,” he said. “So that’s that’s all I care about right now.”
