Joshua Van earned his shot the legitimate way, five straight wins capped off by beating Brandon Royval at UFC 317. That performance locked in his opportunity against Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 323. Despite the momentum, he’s still the underdog facing the dominant champion. And now Muhammad Mokaev has already made his prediction crystal clear.

On X, Mokaev predicted, “Pantoja will finish Van with RNC choke.” The former UFC star has no hesitation, and he is fully confident in the champion’s submission game. However, finishing Van won’t be easy, as he has fresh blood and a fight-winning streak, beating big names from Royval to Bruno Silva.

Pantoja’s riding an eight-fight winning streak with major scalps like Kai Asakura and Brandon Moreno. Four title defenses since taking the belt from Moreno

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