At UFC 323, Joshua Van managed an incredible upset over the long-reining Alexandre Pantoja for the UFC Flyweight Championship. Now at the top of the heap at flyweight, there only exists one burning question surrounding his ascension: who will he face in his first UFC Flyweight Championship defense?
UFC Flyweight Championship Picture: Flyweight Joshua Van Toppled Pound-for-Pound Great in Las Vegas
After suffering his lone loss in the UFC to date against Charles Johnson at UFC on ESPN 59 back in July 2024, Joshua Van had embarked on a run of supreme dominance at flyweight. Winning his next five in a row, the young phenom found himself slotted into the co-main event of the final numbered show of the year at UFC 323 for the UFC Flyweight Championship. .
Cementing his position as the clear No. 1 contender with a magnificent triumph over Brandon Royval, the Burmese made his way to the Octagon to battle then four-time defending champion Alexandre Pantoja.
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Prior to the contest with Van, Pantoja had not lost a match in well over five years, logging a monstrous eight-fight win streak. Besting his nemesis Brandon Moreno at UFC 290, the Brazilian proceeded to solidify a sterling legacy as a flyweight titleholder with four consecutive championship retentions over Royval, Steve Erceg, Kai Asakura and Kai Kara-France.
The buildup for the fight had been massive, with many pundits viewing the young and hungry Van as a totally worthy challenger to the veteran Pantoja. Only 26 seconds into the contest for the UFC Flyweight Championship, the incumbent would dislocate his elbow after failing to post properly after being pushed to the canvas by “The Fearless.” In one of the more disappointing scraps of the year, Van was awarded the victory by TKO, making him the new flyweight gold standard.
Regardless of the opinions of onlookers, Van is now the new face of the 125-lb division. Coming out of his meeting with Pantoja practically unscathed, the 4oz. Fight Club representative is expected to defend his newly-won belt sometime soon in 2026. However, as far as potential challengers to his reign go, there appears to be a three-way tie as to who could be the next man in line for the UFC Flyweight Championship. The three individuals in hot pursuit of that honor are none other than Manel Kape, Tatsuro Taira and the former champion, Pantoja.
UFC Flyweight Championship Picture: Manel Kape Shined Brightly in Last UFC Main Event of 2025
Signing with the promotion in 2021, Manel Kape had originally struggled to get any meaningful momentum going, losing his first two trips to the UFC cage to the aforementioned Pantoja and Matheus Nicolau. Following these setbacks, though, “Starboy” would score four wins in a row, notably trouncing the then 20-4 David Dvořák. Unfortunately, he came out on the wrong side of a unanimous decision defeat to previous rival Muhammad Mokaev at UFC 304.
While the loss certainly took the wind out of sails, it didn’t take very long for the Angola native to swiftly climb his way back into UFC Flyweight Championship contention. Rattling off three knockout victories at the time of this writing, Kape closed out 2025 for the UFC on an unbelievably high note when he starched the iron-chinned Royval at UFC Vegas 112.
With his reputation as possibly the best finisher in the flyweight class firmly intact, the 32-year old may have just punched his ticket for a UFC Flyweight Championship bout in the near future.
UFC Flyweight Championship Picture Tatsuro Taira Stopped Durable Legend in Return Trip to Sin City
When it comes to prodigies, Tatsuro Taira may just be one of the greatest of all time. Blasting his way into the UFC in 2022 after a fruitful run on the Japanese regional circuit, he proved that he was indeed a budding flyweight contender by winning his first five contests in the organization.
His popularity really began to surge, however, following a rip-roaring finish over Alex Perez in 2024, earning the distinction of being the first fighter born in the 2000s to win a UFC main event. It looked like he was going to be fighting for the UFC Flyweight Championship belt in 2025 before an ill-fated throwdown with Royval saw him lose for the first time.
Taking almost a year off after the defeat, Taira rebounded in 2025 in glorious fashion by taking out the once feared South Korean juggernaut Park Hyun-sung, who had also been undefeated at the time, and had also boasted a nearly 100 percent stoppage rate.
Tasked with his most storied opponent to date at UFC 323, the Japanese star locked horns with flyweight luminary Brandon Moreno. Heading into the fight as a surprising favorite, Taira proved the betting lines right when he conquered the two-time champion with strikes in the second round, becoming the first man to finish him.
UFC Flyweight Championship Picture: Alexandre Pantoja May Just Get Rematch Based Off of Lengthy Tenure as Flyweight Champion
What happened to Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 323 was nothing short of tragic. To lose your UFC Flyweight Championship status due to an accidental injury is one of the saddest ways of having to relinquish your strap, especially after only just 26 seconds of action.
At this point in time, there haven’t been any updates as to when “The Cannibal” will take to the cage once more, but given the results of his last tilt, it is certain that he will want to compete as soon as possible.
Fortunately, there is a likely scenario that could see Pantoja get an immediate shot at Van for the UFC Flyweight Championship upon his return to the Octagon once his arm fully heals. Although some might view this as unwarranted, considering the short list of other contenders up next for the new flyweight king, it actually isn’t uncommon for longtime titleholders to seize an instant runback with their usurpers.
After having his more than six year reign come to a thunderous end at the hands of Chris Weidman, Anderson Silva got the chance to face off with his previous challenger for his coveted spot at the head of middleweight rankings. Also, off the back of five sensational title defenses, Kamaru Usman was granted a third fight with divisional nemesis Leon Edwards after the former knocked him out with a now iconic head kick at UFC 278.
Taking this into account, it isn’t out of the realm of possibility for Pantoja to be booked for a second encounter with Van in 2026. Even if the Brazilian should lose to the surging Burmese more convincingly the next time around, he will have hopefully put on a much longer performance that him, his team and the mixed martial arts community can be satisfied with.
