Watch: Joshua Van and Team Listen to Songs and Bother Cutman Tate Before Pantoja Fight
Joshua Van and his team were so unbothered before his UFC 331 title defense against Alexandre Pantoja that even cutman Tate was shocked.
When preparing for a high-stakes championship defense, most fighters prefer a quiet, hyper-focused locker room. UFC flyweight champion Joshua Van, however, operates on a completely different frequency. Backstage ahead of his main event clash against former champion Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 331 in Los Angeles, the 24-year-old phenom showed zero signs of fight-night jitters. Instead of pacing the floor in nervous anticipation, Van and his team were kicking back, jamming to music, and loudly singing along to keep the mood loose.
Roasting Cutman Tate Backstage
The relaxed backstage vibe turned into full-blown comedy when veteran Cutman Tate stepped into the room to wrap the champion's hands. Rather than switching into serious pre-fight mode, Van and his corner immediately began busting Tate's chops. Van poked fun at the veteran, cheekily telling him, "Sit up and do your job bro," which sent his corner into a frenzy of cheers and follow-up jabs.
Tate could only shake his head and laugh off the locker room banter. "You fought 4-5 years you know how we do this sh-t," Tate replied. "That sh-t crazy bro, yā€™all so unprofessionalā€¦"
That ice-cold calm clearly carried over into the Octagon. Van went out and put on an absolute masterclass, out-striking Pantoja over five competitive rounds to earn a unanimous decision victory (49-46, 48-47, 50-45) and defend his flyweight gold.
The electrifying performance drew massive praise from UFC CEO Dana White, who hailed the bout as an instant classic and voiced total shock upon realizing the dominant champion is still only 24 years old. Whether he is roasting cutmen backstage or pulling away in championship rounds, Van is rapidly proving that he is one of the most uniquely composed talents in MMA.
