Joshua Van left no doubt in the rematch. The UFC men’s flyweight champion defended his title for the second time with a dominant unanimous-decision victory over former champion Alexandre Pantoja in the UFC 331 main event on Saturday night at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.
Across five hard-fought rounds, Van was the sharper boxer, the fresher athlete and the more complete mixed martial artist. He outstruck Pantoja throughout, stuffed double-digit takedown attempts and punctuated his performance by dropping an exhausted Pantoja in the fifth round to seal the decision.
Van vs. Pantoja 2: How the UFC 331 Flyweight Title Fight Played Out
The early going belonged to Pantoja. The former champion wasted no time taking Van to the canvas in the opening round, quickly advancing to full mount before Van exploded out and reversed position midway through the frame. Pantoja held his own on the feet and scored another takedown to take Round 1.
But the tide turned in the second. After a brief pause caused by an accidental clash of heads that cut Pantoja’s face, the two traded punches and kicks for most of the round, with Van looking the fresher of the two. Pantoja landed a late takedown but had no time to threaten a submission.
By the third round, Pantoja was visibly tiring. His punches were landing, but they lacked the snap of Van’s shots. Another Pantoja takedown led nowhere, and once the fight returned to the feet, Van began teeing off, even as Pantoja motioned for him to come forward and brawl.
Pantoja’s best moment of the championship rounds came in the fourth, when he secured a takedown barely a minute in and racked up control time. But he could not advance position or land meaningful damage, and Van’s steady boxing carried him through.
The fifth was all Van. His boxing was sharp, his forward pressure relentless, and he picked Pantoja apart before scoring a knockdown on the exhausted challenger. With the fight level at two rounds apiece going into the final frame, Van left the judges with no choice – and retained his crown.
Despite the defeat, Pantoja showed championship heart, holding his own on the feet and piling up nearly 10 minutes of control time. Still, Van’s takedown defense and superior striking told the story of a champion coming into his own.
UFC 331 Co-Main Event: Tsarukyan Sleeps Ruffy, Stakes Lightweight Title Claim
In the co-main event, Arman Tsarukyan delivered what may be the biggest win of his career, knocking out Mauricio Ruffy with a picture-perfect left elbow in the first round.
Tsarukyan initially tried to take the fight to the canvas, where his wrestling held a clear edge, but Ruffy scrambled back to his feet. Fighting from a clinch along the fence, Tsarukyan uncorked a devastating elbow the moment Ruffy tried to create space, switching the knockout artist’s lights out before landing one more for good measure.
The victory all but cements Tsarukyan as the No. 1 contender for UFC lightweight champion Justin Gaethje’s title.
Sharaf Stuns Steveson in 12 Seconds: The Upset of the Year
The most shocking moment of UFC 331 came early on the main card, when heavyweight Sean Sharaf knocked out blue-chip prospect Gable Steveson just 12 seconds into the fight.
Sharaf, a former U.S. Marine who entered the night 0-2 in the UFC and a massive betting underdog, needed only two punches – a pressing right hand followed by a devastating left hook to the chin. It was Steveson’s first defeat in MMA and ranks as the third-fastest finish in UFC heavyweight history.
Steveson, the U.S. Olympic gold medalist and two-time NCAA Division I wrestling champion who transitioned to MMA in 2025, had arrived at the arena in a classic Mercedes convertible alongside his mentor, all-time great Jon Jones. The hype train came to a crashing halt in a dozen seconds.
UFC 331 Full Results
It was a night of finishes and statements across the card:
- Men’s flyweight title: Joshua Van def. Alexandre Pantoja by unanimous decision
- Lightweight: Arman Tsarukyan def. Mauricio Ruffy by KO (Round 1)
- Featherweight: Patricio “Pitbull” Freire def. Dooho Choi by TKO (Round 1, 3:28)
- Heavyweight: Sean Sharaf def. Gable Steveson by KO (Round 1, 0:12)
- Light heavyweight: Alonzo Menifield def. Iwo Baraniewski by split decision
- Bantamweight: Marlon Vera def. Charles Jourdain by TKO (Round 3)
- Heavyweight: Robelis Despaigne def. Tai Tuivasa by split decision
- Featherweight: Michael Aswell def. JooSang Yoo by split decision
- Middleweight: Ryan Gandra def. Ozzy Diaz by TKO (Round 1, 2:56)
- Middleweight: Edmen Shahbazyan def. Brunno Ferreira by unanimous decision
- Women’s flyweight: Casey O’Neill def. Eduarda Moura by submission (Round 1)
- Featherweight: Joanderson Brito def. Giga Chikadze by TKO (Round 1)
Other UFC 331 Highlights
Former Bellator champion Patricio “Pitbull” Freire, 39, scored arguably his biggest UFC win, stopping Dooho Choi with a heavy straight right and ground-and-pound at 3:28 of the first round – snapping Choi’s three-fight winning streak.
Alonzo Menifield showed remarkable grit, fighting through a badly injured left thumb to edge previously undefeated knockout artist Iwo Baraniewski by split decision (all three judges scored it 29-28).
Marlon “Chito” Vera snapped a four-fight losing streak in style, dropping Charles Jourdain twice in Round 2 before a third knockdown – via straight left – ended it in Round 3. Vera set the UFC men’s bantamweight record for career knockdowns.
Tai Tuivasa’s nightmare continued: his split-decision loss to Robelis Despaigne was his eighth straight defeat, tying Tony Ferguson’s all-time UFC losing skid.
On the early prelims, “King” Casey O’Neill pulled off a spectacular armbar submission of Eduarda Moura – launching her into the air from bottom position – while Joanderson Brito stopped Giga Chikadze with first-round ground-and-pound and celebrated by removing his shorts in a nod to Derrick Lewis.
What’s Next After UFC 331?
Joshua Van’s second title defense firmly establishes him as the king of the flyweights, and a new era at 125 pounds is officially underway. With Pantoja now twice beaten by the champion, the division must look to fresh contenders.
Meanwhile, Tsarukyan’s devastating knockout sets up a blockbuster lightweight title clash with Justin Gaethje, and Sean Sharaf’s 12-second stunner instantly made him one of the most talked-about heavyweights on the roster.
UFC 331 delivered drama from the first prelim to the final bell – and the fallout will shape the UFC landscape for months to come.
Results verified via ESPN’s UFC 331 live results coverage (Sept. 20, 2026).