Pantoja On Rocky Quote After Crushing Van Loss

Alexandre Pantoja suffered his second straight title loss to Joshua Van at UFC 331 on Saturday night in Los Angeles, dropping a one-sided unanimous decision that leaves his path back to flyweight gold uncertain.

Pantoja started fast, taking Van down just 10 seconds into the rematch, but the Brazilian gassed badly over five rounds as Van repeatedly stuffed his takedown attempts and picked him apart on the feet. One judge scored the bout 50-45 for the champion, per MMA Mania, though the other two cards were closer. Pantoja was reportedly transported to the hospital following the fight.

Pantoja Channels Rocky After Second Van Defeat

After the loss, Pantoja posted a lengthy Rocky Balboa quote on Instagram. "The world is not a big rainbow. It's a filthy place, it's a cruel place," he wrote, quoting the film. "It'll bring you to your knees and you'll be on your knees forever if you let it. But it ain't about hitting hard. It's all about how much you can take it and move forward."

The defeat marks Pantoja's second consecutive loss to Van. The first came via freak injury just seconds into their initial meeting. This time there were no excuses — Van dominated the striking exchanges once Pantoja's wrestling threat faded in the third round.

MMA Mania suggested a potential next fight against Tatsuro Taira, the No. 4-ranked flyweight whose own title loss came at Van's hands earlier this year. Both men are now looking to climb back into contention from similar positions.

Reported via:

• MMA Mania — Monday Morning Hangover: What’s next for Alexandre Pantoja after crushing loss at UFC 331?