Joshua Van’s coronation as flyweight champion came faster than anyone could have imagined at UFC 323, as Alexandre Pantoja suffered a freak arm injury seconds into the fight, handing Van the belt in a stunning twist.
“This whole week it was kill or be killed. I knew I was going to win the fight, but I didn’t want the fight to end that way for sure. As soon as he’s recovered I want to run it back. I respect him so much, he’s one of the greatest of all time, so I do want to run it back,” Van told reporters at his post-fight scrum.
“It was everything I expected. He’s aggressive, he’s a champion for a reason.”
Van (16-2) wasted little time outlining his plans as champion. He made it clear he wants to stay busy, but not before a brief breather.
“I want to be the active champion for sure, but I’m taking this month off,” he said with a laugh.
When the fight was stopped, Van sprinted around the octagon in celebration, embracing his team and reveling in the moment. Some fans bristled at the reaction, arguing the win came from injury rather than damage inflicted, but the new champion wasn’t interested in appeasing critics.
“F*ck them,” Van said.
“If you do good, they would talk sh*t, and if you do bad they would talk sh*t. So do what makes you happy. It don’t matter what they think man. I won.”
