Joshua Van’s Title Shot “A Little Premature,” Says MMA Analyst, Wonders If “The Fearless” Is Ready for Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 323

“The Fearless” is coming off a unanimous decision victory over former title challenger Brandon Royval at UFC 317 in June, a victory that earned him the championship opportunity. He comes in UFC323 Riding a five-fight win streak, and barring a lone knockout loss to Charles Johnson at UFC Denver in July 2024, the 24-year-old talent from Myanmar has been flawless in the promotion, winning eight of his last nine bouts.

Many experts believe Van has the tools to give Pantoja real problems in the fight, especially in the high-profile exchanges. However, Din Thomas sees it differently, arguing that Van finds himself in a stylistic nightmare against ‘The Cannibal’.

Din Thomas dismisses Joshua Van’s chances, says he’s not “at the level” to dethrone Alexandre Pantoja

During a recent interview with MMA junkiegave UFC analyst Din Thomas his thoughts on the flyweight title fight between Alexandre Pantoja and Joshua Van at UFC 323. The MMA veteran said Pantoja is set to test Van with a brutal series of wrestling threats that could quickly expose any holes in the young contender’s game.

“I think Pantoja, I don’t want to say, runs through him, but I think stylistically he has all the advantages to make this look exactly like he beat Kai Kara-France, and I think it will look something like this,” Thomas said.

Thomas pointed to experience as the determining factor, suggesting that “The Fearless” may not yet be at the same competitive level as Pantoja, and believes this apparent gap makes the match feel a step too early for Van.

“And I say this with all due respect because Joshua Van, like Waldo Cortes-Acosta, is one of my favorite fighters right now. But stylistically, I don’t think he’s at the level right now to be able to handle Pantoja. This guy has only been doing this for five years. Pantoja was probably a black belt five years ago, so I think it’s a little premature for him.”