Alexandre Pantoja opens up about his fight at UFC 323 and makes a strong statement about his rival.

Alexandre pantoja During a UFC presentation. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram/UFC India

Alexandre pantoja revealed details of the critical moment he experienced during the duel against Joshua Van No. UFC 323In a recent statement, the former flyweight champion (up to 56,7 kg) said he faced a real internal dilemma after dislocating his arm during the fight.

In an interview with 'The Ariel Helwani Show', Pantoja said that he considered continuing to fight even while injured, but chose to stop the fight to avoid a more serious problem that could keep him out of the octagon for a long time. However, after putting his arm back in place, the Brazilian admitted that he immediately regretted the decision.

See too

Joe Pyfer opens his heart and reveals psychological drama before UFC Seattle: 'I almost took my own life'

Ilia Topuria surprises by talking about her undefeated streak in MMA and admits to losses in her career.

Pantoja says he could fight at UFC 327 and offers himself as a reserve: 'If they called me now'

“If I had tried to fight with my arm dislocated like that, it could have been worse for me and it would have taken me a long time to recover. But when I asked to stop the fight, I put my arm back in place. At that moment, I thought, 'My God, why did I stop the fight?'” said Pantoja.

Confident, the Brazilian also stated that he fully believed he would win the fight that night and even questioned his rival's reaction after the fight ended.

"I am 100% certain that his celebration was because he didn't want to fight me. I believe, deep down in my soul, 99,9%, that I would have won." Joshua Van "That night," concluded the former champion.

Alexandre pantoja talks about the internal debate he was having when his arm dislocated against Joshua Van at UFC 323:

“If I tried to fight with my arm dislocated like that it could be worse for me and then it would take a lot of time to come back, but when I said to stop the... pic.twitter.com/EkrzJGTbuU

- Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) March 30, 2026

When will Alexandre Pantoja's next fight be in the UFC?

Alexandre pantoja Celebrating his fourth defense of the UFC flyweight title. Photo: Reproduction X/UFC

Alexandre pantoja He doesn't yet have a fight scheduled with the UFC. The Brazilian continues preparing for his return to the world's most famous octagon. With 30 wins and six losses in his professional record, the former flyweight champion wants to return to the top and, to that end, has already made himself available. as a reserve on the UFC 327 card.