Pantoja turns to Rocky after second title loss to Van
Former flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja posted a message about perseverance after losing a unanimous decision to Joshua Van, according to Yahoo Sports.
Alexandre Pantoja has responded to his second consecutive flyweight title-fight loss to Joshua Van by drawing on the fictional boxer Rocky Balboa.
Pantoja lost the UFC 331 main event by unanimous decision, with the judges scoring the bout 50-45, 49-46 and 48-47 in Van’s favour, according to Yahoo Sports.
After the fight, Pantoja shared a lengthy Rocky quote about perseverance on social media and thanked supporters for their “continued support”. The post marked his first public response detailed in the source after the defeat.
The loss followed Pantoja’s reported 26-second defeat to Van at UFC 323, when he injured his arm. Van now holds consecutive wins over the former champion, who is listed with a 30-7 MMA record and a 14-5 UFC record.
Pantoja won the flyweight title against Brandon Moreno in 2023 and defended it against Brandon Royval, Steve Erceg, Kai Asakura and Kai Kara-France before losing to Van. Yahoo Sports reported that his return to title contention could take time.
