Smiling champion Van faces down steely Pantoja at UFC 331 press conference faceoff

Joshua Van wore a wide smile through a charged faceoff with Alexandre Pantoja at the UFC 331 pre-fight press conference, offering a sharp visual contrast to the former champion’s stone-faced intensity as the pair’s flyweight title rematch draws near.

With UFC matchmaker Sean Shelby positioned between them, Van grinned freely while Pantoja looked, in the words of those ringside, ready to skip the formalities entirely. When the two were finally separated, Van continued posing with the belt as Pantoja was guided in the opposite direction — the body language of a man entirely at ease with the spotlight.

It is a demeanour Van has carried since dethroning Pantoja to claim the UFC flyweight title, and one he has made no effort to dial back. The new champion has already publicly declared himself the best flyweight in history and intends to back that claim up with another dominant performance on Saturday night.

For Pantoja, the stakes are deeply personal. Before the freak injury that ended his title reign, the Brazilian was chasing a place in the record books, with 11 consecutive title defences — the mark set by Demetrious Johnson — a genuine target. That pursuit was derailed by the loss to Van, and Pantoja has since carried a visible hunger to reclaim what he considers his.

The contrast in styles extends well beyond fighting. While Van has leaned into the showmanship of being champion, Pantoja has offered little beyond focused, barely contained aggression in the build-up — rarely smiling, rarely engaging, all business.

Whether Van’s confidence is a psychological edge or simply his natural personality, it has set a compelling tone for a rematch that carries genuine historical weight for the flyweight division.