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‘Absolutely Sickening’ – Fighters & Fans Left In Shock As Alexandre Pantoja Arm Injury Leads To Joshua Van Becoming Flyweight Champion At UFC 323

ByThomas AlbanoMixed Martial Arts Journalist

In one of the most shocking moments in UFC title history, Alexadre Pantoja suffers a broken arm in less than 30 seconds, making Joshua Van the new UFC flyweight champion in the co-main event of UFC 323.

Pantoja came out with his traditional aggressive style, trying to bring the striking pressure to Van. Van would catch a kick and dump Pantoja to the floor — and that was the moment the fight ended.

Pantoja landed on his arm when being pushed down to the mat, resulting in what appeared to be a nasty break to end the title fight.

Joshua Van Claims Flyweight Title At UFC 323 After Alexandre Pantoja Breaks Arm

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Van is 9-1 in the Octagon, and this marked his sixth straight win. This completes an epic 2025 for Van after a decision win over Rei Tsuruya at UFC 313, a finish of Bruno Silva at UFC 316, and a Fight of the Year with Brandon Royval at UFC 317.

Pantoja’s title reign began at UFC 290, defeating Brandon Moreno. He defended the title four times, defeating Royval at UFC 296, Steve Erceg at UFC 301, Kai Asakura at UFC 310, and Kai Kara-France at UFC 317.

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