On September 19, 2026, at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, Joshua Van completed the first full fight of his rivalry with Alexandre Pantoja. The 24-year-old champion retained the UFC flyweight title by unanimous decision after five rounds — and the final horn also confirmed a remarkable statistical milestone.
According to the UFC’s official record book, Van now has 1,411 career significant strikes in the division. That moved him past Brandon Moreno’s 1,375 and placed him first in flyweight history. The unusual part is how quickly he got there: the same database lists Van with only 12 UFC fights, compared with Moreno’s 21.
A rematch that supplied another record
Van and Pantoja did not simply go the distance. Together they landed 328 significant strikes, the second-highest combined total ever recorded in a UFC flyweight bout. The only fight above it is Van’s 2025 battle with Brandon Royval, which produced 419.
That means Van now appears on both of the top two entries in the division’s combined striking table. It is a striking illustration of his style: high pace, sustained combinations and enough accuracy to maintain output across long fights. The official numbers also list 589 combined significant-strike attempts in Saturday’s rematch.
The judges scored the title fight 49-46, 48-47 and 50-45 for Van, according to CBS Sports’ report from the event. Van punctuated the result by scoring the bout’s only knockdown in the fifth round before attempting a kimura, although Pantoja survived to the final horn.
Why this victory settled unfinished business
Their first meeting had answered almost nothing. Van won the championship at UFC 323 in December 2025 when Pantoja suffered an elbow injury only 26 seconds into the opening round. The UFC’s official rematch announcement noted both that abrupt ending and Van’s subsequent fifth-round stoppage of Tatsuro Taira in his first defense.
Saturday’s 25-minute contest supplied the missing evidence. Van defeated the former champion over a complete title-fight distance, recorded his third UFC title-fight victory and extended his winning streak to eight. Pantoja, meanwhile, entered with more UFC fights, more career fight time and five title-fight wins — details that make Van’s statistical rise even more surprising.
A career record can sometimes be the product of longevity. Van’s is different: 1,411 significant strikes in 12 UFC appearances works out to nearly 118 per fight. At an age when many contenders are still approaching their first ranking, he already owns the belt and the most prolific striking total his UFC division has seen.
Sources and further reading
- UFC 331 official results
- UFC Record Book: flyweight career leaders
- UFC Record Book: flyweight combined fight records
- CBS Sports: Van vs. Pantoja 2 report
