Overview
- At UFC 323, Alexandre Pantoja lost his flyweight belt 26 seconds into the fight when a dislocated elbow led referee Herb Dean to stop the bout and award Joshua Van the title.
- In new comments, Pantoja says his arm slipped back into place as the referee moved in and he instantly wished he had not waved for the stoppage.
- He explains he asked for the halt to avoid making the injury worse, noting he avoided surgery and returned to light sparring about two months later.
- Pantoja now signals he could fight soon, with his coach outlining a late-spring timeline and reports expecting him to reenter the title picture once cleared.
- Van is booked to defend against Tatsuro Taira at UFC 327 in Miami, a first major test of his brief reign that could set up a Pantoja rematch later this year.