Minutes after his UFC 317 win over Kai Kara-France, Pantoja (30-5 MMA, 14-3 UFC) was quite literally faced with his next opponent. Into the cage at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas walked Joshua Van, who defeated Brandon Royval in a thrilling title eliminator just one fight prior.

Alexandre Pantoja's UFC 317 victory was more than just a title defense; it was a moral victory not shared by any other flyweight in promotional history.

Alexandre Pantoja put on an absolutely dominant showcase before tapping out Kai Kara-France in the third round to defend his flyweight title in the UFC 317 co-main event. The flyweight champion was better on the feet and on the ground but it was his world class Brazilian jiu-jitsu that got the job done after he dragged Kara-France to the canvas and applied a nasty rear-naked choke to secure the submission win.