UFC 331: Joshua Van, Alexandre Pantoja add an unusual touch of bad blood to rivalry in rematch

Among the many reasons why Saturday's flyweight title rematch between former champion Alexandre Pantoja and new beltholder Joshua Van has become such a must-see attraction as the headliner of UFC 331 in Los Angeles is the surprising amount of bad blood that has developed between them.

Last December, Pantoja (30-6) entered as nearly a 3-to-1 betting favorite against Van (17-2) at UFC 323 in a fight that ended abruptly after just 26 seconds when the Brazilian legend was thrown to the ground following a blocked high kick and dislocated his left elbow.

Van, a 24-year-old rising star from Myanmar, was respectful and remained humble following his first-round TKO win. But his demeanor has changed dramatically in the 10 months since that fight as Van, who defended the title in a thrilling fifth-round TKO of Tatsuro Taira in May, is clearly feeling himself now as champion as he enters as a slight betting favorite for this 125-pound title rematch inside Crypto.com Arena.

When the fight was officially announced during an August press conference in Philadelphia, Van climbed the stairs up to the dais wearing dark sunglasses indoors, which has become a key part of his new aura as champion sporting a…

Original source: https://www.cbssports.com/