Alexander Volkanovski backs Joshua Van at UFC 331 due to lasting impression champion left on him

Alexander Volkanovski has picked flyweight champion Joshua Van to defeat Alexandre Pantoja in their rematch at UFC 331 in Los Angeles. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Volkanovski revealed that his prediction stems from witnessing Van's dedication to improving his wrestling and grappling during previous training sessions in the United States.

Van holds a 75 percent takedown defense success rate, having previously defended against top grappling specialists Tatsuro Taira at UFC 328 and Rei Tsuruya. Meanwhile, Volkanovski is currently preparing to defend his featherweight title next month in Abu Dhabi.