Joshua Van had something to prove.
Nearly a year after his first meeting with Alexandre Pantoja ended prematurely, the Myanmar-born flyweight champion returned to the Octagon at Crypto.com Arena with the questions still lingering. This time, there would be no early stoppage, no unfinished business and no room for ambiguity. Van answered emphatically.
In the main event of Crypto.com UFC 331: Van vs Pantoja 2, the champion went the full five rounds against former titleholder Pantoja, combining sharp boxing, movement and increasingly disciplined takedown defence to secure a unanimous-decision victory — 49-46, 48-47, 50-45 — and retain the UFC flyweight championship.
The rematch began on Pantoja’s terms. The Brazilian quickly took the fight to the canvas and briefly mounted Van, only for the champion to explode into a reversal and get back to his feet. From there, the contest became a compelling collision of styles: Van’s speed and boxing against Pantoja’s Muay Thai and grappling.
By the second round, Van’s defensive movement was becoming increasingly decisive. Pantoja eventually found a takedown late in the round, but the champion’s ability to dictate where the fight took place became one of the defining themes of the night.
The third round turned into a sustained back-and-forth battle. The fourth followed the same pattern, with Van’s hands controlling the opening exchanges before Pantoja found opportunities on the ground.
Then came the fifth.
Van fought like a champion defending more than a belt. Powerful punches, disciplined takedown defence and even a late submission attempt underlined the evolution of a fighter who had already made his breakthrough — but was determined to remove any suggestion that his first victory had been accidental.
Van had his answer.
“Don’t let your circumstance define your life,” he said after the fight, addressing the doubts surrounding his previous victory. He also paid tribute to Pantoja, calling him tough and expressing his respect for the former champion.
The result marks another major chapter in Van’s rise. UFC had positioned the rematch as a chance for Pantoja to reclaim the flyweight championship and become only the third fighter in UFC flyweight history to regain the belt. Instead, Van left Los Angeles still wearing it.
Tsarukyan
“I came to this city to say Los Angeles is going to have some fun. For my next fight – the title fight – I needed that finish. I knew that I was going to finish him. (Next,) a title fight, or Mark Zuckerberg, I want to fight you next.”
Tsarukyan Ends the Co-Main Event in Seconds
If Van’s victory was built over 25 minutes, Arman Tsarukyan needed barely five.
The No. 2-ranked lightweight contender delivered one of the night’s most spectacular finishes, stopping No. 7 Mauricio Ruffy by knockout at 4:56 of the opening round. Tsarukyan’s finish came through a pair of rapid elbows that landed cleanly, ending the contest and strengthening his position in an increasingly crowded lightweight title picture.
The Armenian contender made his intentions clear afterwards: he wants the title next. And, with his characteristic sense of humour, he offered an alternative opponent — Mark Zuckerberg.
A Night Built for Knockouts
The rest of the card kept the pace.
Patricio Pitbull stopped Dooho Choi in the first round, while Sean Sharaf needed only 12 seconds to defeat Gable Steveson with a left hand.
Alonzo Menifield edged Iwo Baraniewski by split decision on the main card. The prelims delivered their own share of drama. Marlon Vera stopped Charles Jourdain in the third round, Robelis Despaigne took a split decision over Tai Tuivasa, and Michael Aswell Jr. narrowly defeated JooSang Yoo. Further down the card, Ryan Gandra stopped Ozzy Diaz in the opening round, while Casey O’Neill submitted Eduarda Moura with an armbar.
Joanderson Brito also scored a first-round knockout over Giga Chikadze. The night’s bonuses reflected the card’s appetite for finishes: Van and Pantoja earned Fight of the Night, while Casey O’Neill and Tsarukyan received Performance of the Night honours. Brito, Gandra and Marlon Vera were awarded finish bonuses, while Sean Sharaf received the USD $50,000 Mobland’s “Chaos Bonus”, matched by UFC President Dana White to bring the total to USD $100,000.
Los Angeles Gets Its UFC Moment
The numbers reinforced the scale of the occasion. UFC 331 was sold out at 19,357 spectators, generating an USD $8.3 million gate, according to the event figures supplied by UFC.
It was also a significant return for the promotion to Los Angeles. UFC had billed the Crypto.com Arena event as its first return to the venue in eight years, with the Van–Pantoja rematch at the centre of a card designed around championship stakes, established names and rising contenders.
But the headline belongs to Van. The first victory created a champion. The second removed the asterisk.
Against a former champion who had every reason to reclaim the belt, Van went 25 minutes, absorbed the pressure, defended the takedowns and continued to attack until the final bell. For Myanmar’s Joshua Van, UFC 331 was not simply a successful title defence.
It was a statement.
Image credit: Getty Images. Used strictly for editorial purposes only.
