Max Holloway slams UFC 323 broadcast for this decision after Alexandre Pantoja's horrendous arm injury 

UFC 323: Pantoja v Van - Source: Getty
Alexandre Pantoja leaves the octagon after UFC 323. [Image courtesy: Getty]

Former UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway kept a close eye on things at UFC 323, and he wasn’t happy with one moment from the pay-per-view.

Ad

‘Blessed’ was left in shock after the end of the co-main event. Alexandre Pantoja, the flyweight champion, injured his arm in terrible fashion as he tried to break his fall.

His left arm completely buckled within 30 seconds of the first round and he was unable to continue. Joshua Van became the new champion without really doing much damage while Pantoja was left heartbroken at the manner of losing his title.

While the commentators were certain that Pantoja had broken or dislocated his arm, the replays weren’t that conclusive.

Ad

Get the latest updates on One Championship Rankings at Sportskeeda and more

However, the broadcast team decided to showcase the injury in slow motion and zoomed in, which highlighted the damage done. It was a gruesome clip, and wasn’t for the faint of heart.

Holloway took offense to this and wrote on X that the company should not have shown the replay on the giant screens.

Check out Max Holloway’s X post below:

Ad

There hasn't been any confirmation of what injury Pantoja suffered, but he could be out for long. MMA journalist Ariel Helwani initially thought that the Brazilian had broken his arm.

However, after checking with Brian Stutterer, Helwani posted that a dislocation for Pantoja is also possible. The former champion could be out for months if he undergoes surgery, according to the doctor.

Van, for his part, continued his meteoric rise in the UFC. The Myanmar-born star became the first UFC champion from the country, and he was quick to bring this up in the post-fight interview with Joe Rogan.

Van is only 24, and became the second youngest champion in UFC history, just behind the legendary Jon Jones.

Quick Links

Edited by Saiyed Adeem Karim
Sportskeeda logo
Close menu
WWE
WWE
NBA
NBA
NFL
NFL
MMA
MMA
Tennis
Tennis
NHL
NHL
Golf
Golf
MLB
MLB
Soccer
Soccer
F1
F1
WNBA
WNBA
down arrow icon
More
bell-icon Manage notifications