Joshua Van responds to Alexandre Pantoja's "education" comment

Joshua Van had a message for Alexandre Pantoja after hearing that the former UFC flyweight champion wanted to "give him some education." The UFC flyweight champion joked that he was Pantoja's father and claimed his opponent was trying to portray him as the bad guy ahead of their rematch.

Van and Pantoja will meet again in Saturday's UFC 331 main event in Los Angeles, with the flyweight title on the line. The two first fought at UFC 323 in December 2025, when Van was awarded a victory after Pantoja suffered an elbow injury just 26 seconds into the bout.

Joshua Van Claims He's Alexandre Pantoja's "Dad"

Van was asked about Pantoja's comments shortly after the Brazilian spoke to reporters at Wednesday's UFC 331 media day. The champion dismissed the idea that he was the one who needed to be taught a lesson and instead doubled down on the rivalry between the two fighters.

"As far as I check, I'm his dad," Van said during Wednesday's UFC 331 media day. "I don't know what he was talking about. You know the sh*t that he be saying? He should get smacked for that. He was being respectful after the fight, but I don't know where he's doing interviews and things like that, making me the bad guy. I told him we're going to fight again. I don't know what his deal was, but I was just annoyed."

Van also believes Pantoja is trying to create a narrative in which the Brazilian is the good guy and he is the villain.

"He's trying to be this guy where he's the good guy, right?" Van said. "Trying to make me the bad guy. I don't mind it. […] It's funny to me. We're going to fight Saturday and find out who's the better man."

Joshua Van Expects to Become One of the UFC's Great Flyweights

Van is also confident that another victory over Pantoja would strengthen his legacy in the UFC's flyweight division. The 24-year-old believes the Brazilian's previous opponents gave him too much respect, something Van does not intend to do.

"There's no 'if,'" Van said. "When I beat him, I will be one of the greats in this division, and then the next contender is going to try to come and take the belt off me. [...] Every guy that (Pantoja) fought, they showed him too much respect. This is the first time someone ever talked back to him or point out what he's been saying is wrong. He's not used to it. I think he's putting pressure on himself for sure."

Van will look to prove his confidence is justified when he defends the UFC flyweight title against Pantoja in Saturday's main event.