Van Must Avoid Ground War in Pantoja Rematch
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The flyweight champion faces a grappling specialist at UFC 331 after a previous victory marred by injury.
Joshua Van will defend his flyweight championship this Saturday in Los Angeles at UFC 331 against challenger Alexandre Pantoja. The bout serves as a rematch following Van's victory over Pantoja last year, which ended via injury stoppage, according to Sportsnet.
Sportsnet reporting indicates that Van's ability to keep the fight on the feet will be the deciding factor. While Van previously overcame eight takedowns in a title defense against Tatsuro Taira, Pantoja presents a more significant grappling threat. In previous matchups against Royval, Moreno, and Erceg, Pantoja secured a combined 23 takedowns and used his wrestling to force opponents to hesitate with their striking, per Sportsnet.
Van continues to struggle with takedown defense, leaving him vulnerable to Pantoja's opportunistic ground game. Sportsnet notes that if Pantoja can exploit these defensive lapses, he may find a submission or secure a decision victory by blending grappling and striking. Conversely, Van's path to victory relies on avoiding the ground and creating prolonged striking exchanges to build momentum, similar to his performance against Taira.