Dana White thinks Joshua Van has been a game-changing force for the flyweight division.
Van (17-2 MMA, 11-1 UFC) put on his third Fight of the Year worthy contest in his past four bouts Saturday when he successfully defended his belt for the second time against rival Alexandre Pantoja (30-7 MMA, 14-5 UFC) with a unanimous decision in the UFC 331 headliner at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.
It was a thrilling five for all five rounds, with the 24-year-old champion leaving with his reign in tact and showing that he is one of the most entertaining fighters in all the sport. UFC CEO White couldn't resist his praise post-fight, and said Van has been a revelation for a weight class that just a few years ago was on the chopping block from UFC.
"It was
incredible," White told MMA Junkie and other reporters post-fight at UFC 331. "He's the greatest thing ever for that division, too. He brings a lot of flash and excitement and fun to the division. That was a great fight.
"If you look at how the fight ended with that freak injury, which sucks. It's a sh*tty way to win and a sh*tty way to lose. Then he goes out and defends. He just keeps looking more and more confident. How about the takedown defense? Unbelievable. How about the escape from mount? The kid looks incredible. He looks better every time he fights and that's what it takes to be a long-reigning champion. You have to look better every time out. Especially against a guy like Pantoja."
White said what made UFC 331 so satisfying is that the pre-fight heat between Van and Pantoja was backed up in the cage. There have been many instances throughout UFC history where grudge matches ended up being a flop when the lights turned bright inside the octagon.
This case was different, and White said it speaks to the type of fighters Van and Pantoja are.
"To be honest with you, when you think about all the grudge matches that have happened in UFC history: How many of them actually were great?" White said. "If you wanted to call tonight a grudge match, this is probably the greatest grudge match in the history of the UFC."
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Dana White: Joshua Van 'greatest thing ever' for flyweight after UFC 331
