Ever since the end of 26 seconds encounter between Joshua Van the challenger and Alexandre Pantoja the title defender on December 6, in Las Vegas, Nevada, the cacophony on the outcome has been quite a controversial topic, on which a lot of people have been indulging and arguing, that might go on for sometime, if not for a longer time.

The core theme has been if Van has won it worthily or just out of sheer luck due to Pantoja’s injury during the fight.

But first let us look into the two’s background as MMA fighters.

Two MMA fighters

Here are the measurements and reaches for both Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighters:

*Alexandre Pantoja*

• Age: 35 (born April 16, 1990)
• Height: 5’5″ (165.1 cm)
• Weight: 125 lbs (56.7 kg)
• Reach: 68″ (173 cm)
• Stance: Orthodox

*Joshua Van*

• Age: 24 (born October 10, 2001)
• Height: 5’5″ (165.1 cm)
• Weight: 125 lbs (56.7 kg)
• Reach: 65″ (165 cm)
• Stance: Orthodox

As for their biographies, here’s a brief summary:

Alexandre Pantoja, also known as “The Cannibal,” is a Brazilian mixed martial artist and the current Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Flyweight Champion. He has a professional record of 30 wins and 5 losses, with 8 wins by knockout and 12 by submission. Pantoja started his MMA journey in 2007 and has competed in various promotions, including RFA and Shooto Brazil, before joining the UFC.

Joshua Van, nicknamed “The Fearless,” is a Myanmar-born mixed martial artist competing in the UFC Flyweight division. With a professional record of 15 wins and 2 losses, Van has quickly risen through the ranks, earning his UFC debut and becoming the youngest UFC champion in history by defeating Pantoja at UFC 323.

Description of the fight

The match up between Joshua Van and Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 323 has been marred with controversial and unsatisfactory audience response, particularly from the pro-Pantoja supporter camp, while the majority were torn between the unsatisfactory, short 26 minutes ending of the bout which they hoped to see more, so that the winner could have proven that he really deserved the Flyweight Champion title.

CBS Sport, on December 7 reported exclusively the following on the Flyweight UFC title bout in the co-main event of UFC 323 inside T-Mobile Arena.

“Joshua Van’s crowning achievement brings more questions than answers. Van succeeded in dethroning Alexandre Pantoja to become the second youngest UFC champion ever, but the outcome of their fight at UFC 323 does little to address who the better man was.

Early in Round 1, Pantoja threw a high kick. Van caught the kick and threw Pantoja to the mat. The defending champion immediately clutched his arm and called for referee Herb Dean. The official quickly stepped in and waved off the fight. A gruesome replay showed Pantoja’s arm snapping at the elbow as he tried to plant on the mat. Van quickly consoled Pantoja as top contender Tatsuro Taira expressed shock cage side.

Van raised his arms in victory as UFC announcer Bruce Buffer named him the new flyweight champion, and his coach paraded Van around on his shoulder. Such showboating might sour fans who deem the outcome inconclusive.”

Fight Recap: Key Moments

• Quick Start: The fight began with Pantoja attempting a high kick just 26 seconds into the first round. Van caught the kick and executed a take-down, but during the fall, Pantoja suffered a severe arm injury.
• Injury Details: As Pantoja landed awkwardly, a gruesome replay showed what appeared to be a dislocation of his elbow, causing him to clutch his arm and signal to the referee, Herb Dean, to stop the fight.
• Official Result: The referee quickly declared a Technical Knockout (TKO) victory for Joshua Van, marking the end of Pantoja’s title reign.

Aftermath and Reactions

• Pantoja’s Response: Following the incident, Pantoja took to social media to express his determination, stating, “I’ve been through worse. I’ll come back even stronger, you can be sure of that.”
• Van’s Reaction: Joshua Van, celebrating his win, acknowledged the unusual circumstances and stated he didn’t want the fight to end this way. He emphasized that Pantoja is one of the greatest fighters.
• Controversy: While Van’s victory granted him the title and made him the second-youngest champion in UFC history, critics questioned the legitimacy of the win due to the freak nature of the injury. Some fans pointed out that he hadn’t decisively defeated Pantoja in the traditional sense.

Analysis

First of all controversial aside, Van’s victory is a legitimate and worthy one, unlike the pro-Pantoja camp would like to portray him.

Secondly, the abrupt ending of the bout only after 26 seconds isn’t the fault or failure of anyone, Pantoja, Van or the Referee.

Finally, TKO decision has been taken according to Pantoja’s request. Thus, the championship win of Van is legitimate, no matter what the fans from both sides want to hear or believe.

Coming to the first controversial issue of whether Van’s victory is a legitimate and worthy one has to be answered with a big “Yes”.

This writer has posted on his Facebook following the end of the bout as below:

“In my opinion Joshua Van at the age of 24 as a newly celebrated Flyweight Champion of UFC is a very matured, polite and balanced young man by the way he acted and communicate with the concerned people and public. The way he was reluctant to overpower Pantoja when he fall to the ground hurting his elbow; his show of empathy by rubbing the head of Pantoja when he was grieving on his knees on the stage are testimonials of his gentlemanly gesture, which no one can ignore. He even said Pantoja should be given a chance for the rematch as soon as possible and that he didn’t want his victory to be like it has happened, with TKO. So stop saying that he isn’t worth it or shouldn’t celebrate it. What’s wrong that he also rejoice the victory? Thinking or reasoning objectively, can’t we see that Van is a capable defender of Pantoja deadly kick, which he repulsed effectively and successfully. I beg to differ with those who wanted to belittle Joshua, as he is what he is: an able, adorable, worthy champion.”

Moreover, on how a high kick could take down the opponent easily if it hits the intended target head or face is described comparing the two videos screened parallel to each other, as the follows:

“How a high kick could knock down an opponent is clearly shown in the video footage as a comparison in one instance. The other video identifies the quick and clever movement of Joshua Van defending the high kick of Alexandre Pantoja effectively, pushing him to the ground. Now after viewing the evidence no one should belittle Joshua for his victory as being sheer luckiness, even though its understandable that many would wanted more of the fight than just 26 seconds.”

The second argument that its nobody’s fault or failure is evident as Van actually didn’t want the bout to end the way it did and wanted to prove more that he deserves the title. On the other hand, Pantoja would be the last person to ask the referee to stop the fight if he hadn’t suffered left hand or shoulder injury that forced him to give up the fight. As for the referee, he hasn’t done anything inappropriate rather than granting the wish of Pantoja to end the fight according to his request, and of course he was doing his duty to protect the well-being of his contending fighters. In sum, everyone was doing the job correctly and professionally, which no one should complain.

Moreover, common scenarios leading to a TKO are as follows:

1. Strikes: A fighter being overwhelmed by a series of punches or kicks that renders them unable to respond effectively.
2. Submission Holds: If a fighter is caught in a submission hold and appears to be in distress, the referee may call a TKO if they believe the fighter cannot escape.
3. Injury: Injuries that prevent a fighter from defending themselves can also lead to a TKO call.

And finally, TKO decision has been taken according to the given circumstances and most importantly with Pantoja’s consent.

Thus, the best way to satisfy all fans from both camps is a rematch. Let’s hope that it will come around soon enough for all to be happy.