Joshua Van Gained 20 Pounds Overnight for UFC 331 Title Fight

Gaining 20 pounds overnight sounds like a weekend in Vegas gone wrong, but for Joshua Van, it is just standard fight night preparation.

According to MMA Fighting, Van packed on more than 20 pounds between the official weigh-ins and his UFC 331 title fight against Alexandre Pantoja.

"MMA Fighting reported the official fight night weights for UFC 331."

For context, flyweights are required to hit the scale at 125 pounds. Adding 20 pounds means Van essentially rehydrated an entire toddler's worth of mass in 24 hours. He is walking into the cage as a full-blown featherweight to fight a guy who probably expects to face someone his own size.

This massive physical advantage helps explain why the betting market is leaning his way. DraftKings Sportsbook has Van as a -162 favorite to defend the belt, while the former champion Pantoja sits at +136 to reclaim his throne.

Pantoja is trying to get his belt back, but dealing with an opponent who just shape-shifted up two weight classes overnight is a brutal assignment. Weight cutting in MMA has always been a legalized science experiment, but seeing the actual fight-night numbers puts the absurdity of the sport right in your face.

We will see if the extra mass translates to knockout power or just a heavier gas tank to empty. If Van uses that size to bully Pantoja and keep the belt, expect the UFC weight-cutting debate to get very loud by Sunday morning.