Joshua Van Defeats Alexandre Pantoja via Unanimous Decision to Retain Flyweight Title at UFC 331

Joshua Van of Myanmar put on a striking masterclass to secure a unanimous-decision win over Alexandre Pantoja of Brazil, retaining his flyweight title at UFC 331 in Los Angeles. The 24-year-old champion settled the score with the former titleholder following their first encounter, which had ended prematurely due to a freak injury.

Cementing his reign atop the 125-pound (56.7kg) division, the undisputed flyweight champion defeated the Brazilian via unanimous decision with scores of 49-46, 49-47, and 50-45 in the main event on Saturday night. Pantoja had previously suffered an accidental elbow dislocation just 26 seconds into their initial bout in December of the previous year, which resulted in Joshua Van claiming the belt without an outright victory over the Brazilian, who had ruled the division for at least two years.

As the first UFC champion from Myanmar, Joshua Van successfully defended the belt against Tatsuro Taira in May, though he remained eager to definitively prove his status as the division's best while the 36-year-old Pantoja recovered. Following the successful second title defense that extended his professional MMA record to 18 wins and two losses, Joshua Van remarked, "A lot of people said that was an accidental win… well, doubt me now.">

Early in the bout, Pantoja secured a takedown in the first round and landed heavy punches and knees during a fiery exchange, prompting Joshua Van to retaliate with a slicing elbow. Coaches advised Joshua Van during the break to adopt a more tactical approach, telling him he was too good to engage in a pure brawl.

Joshua Van responded by peppering Pantoja with left-handed jabs in the second round and rocking the Brazilian with a fluid combination of punches in the third. Although Pantoja controlled the fourth round by taking Joshua Van down, he was unable to secure a submission. In the final round, Joshua Van stalked Pantoja and knocked him down with an overhand right, sealing the victory on the judges' scorecards.

In the co-main event, Armenian contender Arman Tsarukyan strengthened his case for a lightweight title shot by pinning Mauricio Ruffy to the cage, rocking him with a left elbow, and securing a knockout via right elbow with just four seconds remaining in the first round. Tsarukyan, extending his winning streak to six fights, expressed his readiness and called out champion Justin Gaethje.

In featherweight action, former four-time, two-division Bellator champion Patricio Pitbull achieved his first UFC stoppage win, overwhelming South Korea’s Dooho Choi with sharp volume striking and a devastating right hand that brought a TKO stoppage three minutes and 28 seconds into the opening round. The defeat snapped a three-fight finishing streak for Choi, who has competed under the UFC banner since 2014.

Meanwhile, in the heavyweight division, Sean Sharaf delivered one of the year's most stunning upsets by defeating Gable Steveson via a 12-second first-round TKO. Steveson entered the Octagon as a heavy betting favorite, but Sharaf capitalized immediately in the opening exchange with a blistering flurry of strikes that forced a lightning-fast stoppage, marking the third-fastest knockout in UFC heavyweight history as a visibly frustrated Steveson exited the Octagon.