Joshua Van successfully defended his UFC flyweight title on Saturday night, securing a unanimous decision victory over Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 331 in Los Angeles. The judges scored the bout 49-46, 49-47, and 50-45 in favor of the 24-year-old champion from Myanmar.
The match served as a definitive conclusion to the rivalry between the two fighters, following their initial meeting in December. In that previous encounter, Pantoja suffered an accidental elbow dislocation just 26 seconds into the fight, resulting in Van being awarded the title. Van, who became the first UFC champion from Myanmar, successfully defended his belt against Tatsuro Taira in May before this rematch.
During Saturday’s main event, Van utilized a tactical striking approach, landing a significant overhand right in the final round that knocked Pantoja down. Following the victory, which improved his professional record to 18-2, Van addressed critics who had questioned the legitimacy of his initial title win.
In the co-main event, lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan extended his winning streak to six fights by knocking out Mauricio Ruffy with an elbow strike in the first round. Tsarukyan expressed interest in a future title bout against champion Justin Gaethje.
Other notable results included Patricio Pitbull, who earned his first UFC stoppage victory by defeating Dooho Choi via technical knockout in the first round of their featherweight contest. In the heavyweight division, Sean Sharaf recorded an upset victory over Gable Steveson, securing a technical knockout just 12 seconds into the opening round. The result stands as the third-fastest knockout in the history of the UFC heavyweight division.
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