Joshua Van and Alexandre Pantoja have to be separated at UFC 331 press conference: ‘When someone talks, you shut your f*cking mouth’

Joshua Van and Alexandre Pantoja brought genuine hostility to the UFC 331 press conference on Friday, trading insults and nearly coming to blows before security separated them.

The flyweight title rematch carries real stakes and personal edge. Van claimed the UFC flyweight crown in December when Pantoja dislocated his elbow during a fall early in the bout, giving Van a quick victory. Van later defended the belt at UFC 328 in May with a fifth-round stoppage of Tatsuro Taira. Now the two will run it back at UFC 331 on September 19 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.

At the press conference, Van immediately dismissed the circumstances of their first meeting, asserting he would have won anyway. Pantoja responded with a warning rooted in his Brazilian upbringing, suggesting Van should watch his mouth or risk losing his teeth. When Van interrupted Pantoja mid-answer to redirect focus to the upcoming fight, Pantoja stood up and began walking toward Van across the dais—prompting security to step in. Van continued mocking him throughout, calling him a "fraidy cat" and claiming he was fabricating a tough persona. Pantoja countered that Van was "afraid" despite his "Fearless" persona, while Van maintained he feared nothing.

The two squared off face-to-face afterward, with Dana White forced to keep them separated as they continued jawing at each other. The heated exchange marked a new aggressive side from Van, who appeared to relish needling his rival. For Pantoja, it seemed transparent posturing—a departure from Van's previous demeanor that the former champ dismissed as an act.