Joshua Van suffered major injury month before UFC 331

UFC flyweight champion Joshua Van revealed he suffered a torn AC joint in his right shoulder just over a month before his title defense at UFC 331. The injury prevented Van from sparring for most of his training camp, leaving him with only two weeks of sparring after focusing primarily on cardio. Despite the setback, Van defeated Alexandre Pantoja via decision in a five-round main event in Los Angeles.

Van plans to undergo MRI scans to assess the extent of his shoulder injury before scheduling his next title defense. While top contender Manel Kape is the front-runner for his next fight, Van expressed openness to any opponent. Additionally, Van noted that his training partner Michael Aswell also overcame a rib injury to win his bout on the same card.