Los Angeles — UFC flyweight champion Joshua Van believes he’s improved considerably ahead of his rematch with Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 331, and could even threaten his Brazilian rival on the mats.
Speaking with Cageside Press and other media outlets on Wednesday, Van (17-2) stated that “I’ve been working on my ground, and you guys will see. I tried it in the Tatsuro [Taira] fight, and I didn’t quite get it. But this time, you guys will see a different level of Joshua Van.”
There’s been a surprising amount of trash talk between Van and Pantoja since their initial fight last year. That bout ended early when Pantoja injured his arm, and saw Van crowned as UFC flyweight champion.
Reacting to that trash talk, Van exclaimed that “as far as I check, I’m his dad. I don’t know what he was talking about, but the sh*t that he’s been saying, he should get smacked for that.”
“He was respectful after the fight, and I don’t know what he’s doing, interviews and things like that, making me the bad guy. I’m told him we were going to rematch, we were going to fight again, so I don’t know what his deal is. It’s just annoying.”
Van later suggested that “he’s trying to be the good guy, he’s trying to put me in the bad guy [role]. I don’t mind it, but it’s the way he said it.”
Looking back at the pre-fight press conference, where Van visibly got under the Brazilian’s skin, Van added that “the things that he’s been saying, he don’t even believe it. So when I point that out, it just pisses him off I guess.” With that in mind, when it comes to the next few days and fight night, “I’m just going to be myself. As far as I know, he can’t stand me. I’m just going to be myself.”
Joshua Van has one of the more unique trading card stories in the UFC, as he previously signed his rookie card with “champion by 2026.” In essence, calling his shot and having it come true. It’s not the only place Van made such a prediction.
“I write down everything that I believe I would do. Becoming a champion, before I even wrote it on that card, I wrote it on a piece of paper,” revealed Van. “I have a little book where I just write down everything I do and everything that I want to achieve, and I did that.”
Watch the full UFC 331 media day appearance by Joshua Van above.