UFC 323 was supposed to be the night Alexandre Pantoja either cemented his flyweight legacy or ran into the 24-year-old sensation, Joshua Van , ready to redefine the division. Instead, the fight lasted only a minute. One slip, one awkward fall, and the champion was on the mat, clutching a bent arm that no fighter wants to see. In an instant, the topic changed from who wins to is Pantoja’s night, or even his year, over?

When the referee waved it off, the entire arena felt it. This wasn’t a freak stumble or something he could easily shake off. Even Joe Rogan sounded rattled upon watching the replay: “Oh man. That might not just be a dislocation… that might be a broken arm.” Just like that, the UFC 323 conversation shifted from legacy and title defenses to timelines, rehabilitation,

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