BrofessorLift
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The results from UFC 331 are now official, and Joshua Van has firmly secured his position as UFC flyweight champion after winning his second fight against Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 331.
Van defended his 125-pound title against the former champion by unanimous decision, with all three of the judges awarding him the victory. The judges gave the championship fight a score of 49-46, 49-47, and 50-45 for Van.
The main event, consisting of five rounds, occurred on Saturday, 19th September 2026, at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. Different from their first encounter, which had ended after only 26 seconds due to Pantoja's injury, the rematch offered 25 minutes of fighting and allowed both fighters the chance to resolve the championship issue within the Octagon.
Pantoja went into the rematch with the aim of making an immediate statement; it is said that the former champion declined the glove touch before launching aggressively into his grappling approach, making an early attempt to take Van down. Yet Van managed to adapt as the fight continued and kept achieving success through his striking and movement.
As the contest progressed into the championship rounds, Van's speed and accuracy became important factors. Although Pantoja kept on attempting to close the distance and create chances in the clinch and on the mat, Van was able to maintain control of the fight through his defensive adjustments.
He saved one of his most significant moments for the fifth round, landing a series of solid blows that sent Pantoja down. This late knockdown served to highlight Van's dominance as he concluded the five-round match.
The victory brought Van's professional record up to 18-2 and marked his second successful defense of the UFC flyweight title.
The main event of UFC 331 also acted as a definite ending to the unusual circumstances that had surrounded the fighters' first encounter.
Van and Pantoja first fought at UFC 323 in December 2025; the match had ended after only 26 seconds of the first round when Pantoja sustained an elbow injury, which enabled Van to win the flyweight championship without having to secure it through a normal finish or decision.
The fact that the match ended in an unusual way meant that the rematch was of great importance to both boxers. Pantoja had the chance to win back the title, while Van got an opportunity to show that his first win had not been merely the result of a bad injury.
Following the UFC 331 event, Van made it clear in his interview after the fight regarding those who had questioned his first championship win.
The co-main event also gave rise to a major discussion point, as Arman Tsarukyan stopped Mauricio Ruffy with a first-round elbow knockout at 4:56.
Tsarukyan entered UFC 331 on a five-fight winning streak and wanted to consolidate his position in the UFC lightweight title race. His win against Ruffy took his streak of consecutive victories to six.
The fact that they have now beaten Pantoja also eliminates a great deal of the uncertainty which had existed about their earlier match, since Van has won against the former champion on two occasions, the first of these fights having ended almost immediately because of Pantoja's injury.
The next person to challenge Van for the title will depend on the way the UFC assesses the flyweight division after UFC 331.
At this stage, the most important point from the UFC 331 results is obvious: Joshua Van fought for the full 25 minutes against Alexandre Pantoja and retained his title by unanimous decision. The rematch, which had an unusual first encounter, gave the clear competitive outcome that both fighters had been looking for.
Van defended his 125-pound title against the former champion by unanimous decision, with all three of the judges awarding him the victory. The judges gave the championship fight a score of 49-46, 49-47, and 50-45 for Van.
The main event, consisting of five rounds, occurred on Saturday, 19th September 2026, at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. Different from their first encounter, which had ended after only 26 seconds due to Pantoja's injury, the rematch offered 25 minutes of fighting and allowed both fighters the chance to resolve the championship issue within the Octagon.
Joshua Van Defeats Alexandre Pantoja Again
Joshua Van beat Alexandre Pantoja by unanimous decision with scores of 49-46, 49-47, and 50-45.Pantoja went into the rematch with the aim of making an immediate statement; it is said that the former champion declined the glove touch before launching aggressively into his grappling approach, making an early attempt to take Van down. Yet Van managed to adapt as the fight continued and kept achieving success through his striking and movement.
As the contest progressed into the championship rounds, Van's speed and accuracy became important factors. Although Pantoja kept on attempting to close the distance and create chances in the clinch and on the mat, Van was able to maintain control of the fight through his defensive adjustments.
He saved one of his most significant moments for the fifth round, landing a series of solid blows that sent Pantoja down. This late knockdown served to highlight Van's dominance as he concluded the five-round match.
The victory brought Van's professional record up to 18-2 and marked his second successful defense of the UFC flyweight title.
Van Finally Answers the Questions From UFC 323
The main event of UFC 331 also acted as a definite ending to the unusual circumstances that had surrounded the fighters' first encounter.
Van and Pantoja first fought at UFC 323 in December 2025; the match had ended after only 26 seconds of the first round when Pantoja sustained an elbow injury, which enabled Van to win the flyweight championship without having to secure it through a normal finish or decision.
The fact that the match ended in an unusual way meant that the rematch was of great importance to both boxers. Pantoja had the chance to win back the title, while Van got an opportunity to show that his first win had not been merely the result of a bad injury.
Following the UFC 331 event, Van made it clear in his interview after the fight regarding those who had questioned his first championship win.
UFC 331 Main Card Results
Among the events on the main card of UFC 331 were several impressive performances, together with the championship main event.- Joshua Van def. Alexandre Pantoja, unanimous decision, 5 rounds
- Arman Tsarukyan def. Mauricio Ruffy, KO, Round 1, 4:56
- Patricio Pitbull def. Doo Ho Choi, TKO, Round 1, 3:28
- Sean Sharaf defeated Gable Steveson by knockout in the first round, at 0:12.
- Alonzo Menifield def. Iwo Baraniewski, split decision
- Marlon Vera def. Charles Jourdain. TKO, Round 3, 2:02
Arman Tsarukyan Scores a Huge UFC 331 Win
The co-main event also gave rise to a major discussion point, as Arman Tsarukyan stopped Mauricio Ruffy with a first-round elbow knockout at 4:56.
Tsarukyan entered UFC 331 on a five-fight winning streak and wanted to consolidate his position in the UFC lightweight title race. His win against Ruffy took his streak of consecutive victories to six.
What's the future holding for Joshua Van?
After the event UFC 331, Van is still the UFC flyweight champion, having defended his title with another successful defense of the belt.The fact that they have now beaten Pantoja also eliminates a great deal of the uncertainty which had existed about their earlier match, since Van has won against the former champion on two occasions, the first of these fights having ended almost immediately because of Pantoja's injury.
The next person to challenge Van for the title will depend on the way the UFC assesses the flyweight division after UFC 331.
At this stage, the most important point from the UFC 331 results is obvious: Joshua Van fought for the full 25 minutes against Alexandre Pantoja and retained his title by unanimous decision. The rematch, which had an unusual first encounter, gave the clear competitive outcome that both fighters had been looking for.
