Alexandre Pantoja could return in a UFC flyweight title fight if doctors clear him for an early return. Last weekend, “The Cannibal” put his title on the line against Joshua Van in the UFC 323 co-main event.
However, what had the potential to be a record-breaking fifth defense of the 125-pound title quickly unraveled when Pantoja suffered a gruesome injury that ended the match almost as soon as it started. The moment occurred when Van hit his leg attempting a head kick, sending the Brazilian crashing to the canvas and landing in a manner that seriously compromised his left arm.
Initially it was thought to be a shoulder accident, but upon repeat the injury turned out to be much more serious. Pantoja’s left elbow was visibly twisted and his arm bent at a disturbing angle. He was left sitting on the canvas in obvious pain and immediately indicated that he could not continue, causing the referee to stop the fight after just 26 seconds.
Now with Alexandre Pantoja’s team confirming it was his elbow, not his shoulderthat was damaged, optimism about its recovery timeline has grown. If the doctors release him sooner than expected, he could quickly return to the title picture and rematch Van.
Alexandre Pantoja’s coach says UFC wants an immediate rematch with Joshua Van if medical clearance is granted
During a recent interview with MMAFighting.comAlexandre Pantoja’s head coach Marcos Parrumpa gave his take on the UFC 323 injury and its aftermath. The American Top Team mentor explained that the UFC initially thought “The Cannibal” would be sidelined for a long time due to the severity of the damage. But after further evaluation, discussions with the promotion have been postponed.
According to Parrumpa, if the former flyweight champion is medically cleared within an acceptable time frame, the UFC is looking to move forward with an immediate title rematch against Joshua Van.
“They want to do a rematch immediately, but everything will depend on how long Pantoja will be sidelined,” Parrumpa said. “If it’s a reasonable amount of time, we’ll go for the immediate rematch. If it takes longer, the division really can’t stand still. We understand that. But what we want is, no matter how long Pantoja is out, we want him to come back and fight for the title already.”
Before this setback, Pantoja was on an impressive eight-fight winning streak, with four successful title defenses against high-level contenders such as Kai Kara France, Kai Asakura, Steve Erceg and Brandon Royval. He now has a strong UFC resume with a 14-4 record.
#Alexandre #Pantojas #coach #reveals #UFC #rematch #Joshua #Van #recovery #timeline #reasonable #UFC #Freak #Injury