UFC 331: Van vs. Pantoja 2
UFC 331 took place on September 19, 2026, at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, with Joshua Van defending his UFC flyweight championship against former champion Alexandre Pantoja in the main event. The rematch delivered f…
UFC 331 took place on September 19, 2026, at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, with Joshua Van defending his UFC flyweight championship against former champion Alexandre Pantoja in the main event. The rematch delivered five competitive rounds, but Van controlled the striking exchanges and defended against Pantoja’s grappling to earn a unanimous-decision victory. The judges scored the fight 49-46, 48-47 and 50-45 in Van’s favor, allowing him to retain the flyweight title.
The co-main event also produced a major finish, as Arman Tsarukyan stopped Mauricio Ruffy by knockout at 4:56 of the first round with elbows. Patricio Pitbull defeated Doo Ho Choi by first-round knockout, while Alonzo Menifield earned a split-decision win over Iwo Baraniewski. One of the night’s biggest surprises came when Sean Sharaf knocked out Olympic wrestling champion Gable Steveson in just 12 seconds, handing Steveson his first professional MMA defeat.
The preliminary card featured several notable results as well. Marlon Vera defeated Charles Jourdain by third-round TKO, Robelis Despaigne beat Tai Tuivasa by split decision, and Casey O’Neill submitted Eduarda Moura with a first-round armbar. UFC awarded Fight of the Night to Van and Pantoja, while Tsarukyan and O’Neill received Performance of the Night bonuses. Overall, UFC 331 was highlighted by a successful title defense, several quick finishes and Sharaf’s stunning upset over Steveson.
The co-main event also produced a major finish, as Arman Tsarukyan stopped Mauricio Ruffy by knockout at 4:56 of the first round with elbows. Patricio Pitbull defeated Doo Ho Choi by first-round knockout, while Alonzo Menifield earned a split-decision win over Iwo Baraniewski. One of the night’s biggest surprises came when Sean Sharaf knocked out Olympic wrestling champion Gable Steveson in just 12 seconds, handing Steveson his first professional MMA defeat.
The preliminary card featured several notable results as well. Marlon Vera defeated Charles Jourdain by third-round TKO, Robelis Despaigne beat Tai Tuivasa by split decision, and Casey O’Neill submitted Eduarda Moura with a first-round armbar. UFC awarded Fight of the Night to Van and Pantoja, while Tsarukyan and O’Neill received Performance of the Night bonuses. Overall, UFC 331 was highlighted by a successful title defense, several quick finishes and Sharaf’s stunning upset over Steveson.