If there were any doubts about Joshua Van's championship mettle, they were put to bed after his dominant victory over Alexandre Pantoja in the UFC 331 main event at Crypto Arena in Los Angeles on Saturday night.
Van outstruck Pantoja, successfully defended double-digit takedown attempts and even dropped Pantoja in Round 5 en route to a unanimous decision win to retain the UFC men's flyweight title over the former champion.
Pantoja put up a good fight, as he held his own on the feet and racked up nearly 10 minutes of control time. His best showings were in Rounds 1 and 4, when he got a hold of Van and successfully took the fight to the mat. But Van did enough to get a win on the judges' scorecards. He has now defended his title twice.
Round-by-Round Analysis
Round 1: Pantoja wasted no time in taking Van to the canvas and quickly moving into full mount. Midway through the round, Van exploded to reverse position. Pantoja got the fight back to standing and held his own in the striking before getting another takedown. 10-9, Pantoja.
Round 2: The fight was paused after a clash of heads left a cut on Pantoja's face. When they resumed, they spent most of the round trading punches and kicks on the feet. Both men got in their shots, but Van looked fresher. Pantoja got a takedown late but did not have time to get a submission. 10-9, Van. 19-19.
Round 3: Pantoja looked tired. He was landing punches, but they were not having the same effect as Van's. Pantoja got a takedown but could not advance into position to threaten a submission. Van got the fight standing and started teeing off on Pantoja. 10-9, Van. 29-28, Van.
Round 4: Pantoja got another takedown barely a minute into the round. Once again, he had no success attempting to advance his position. Pantoja maintained control but was landing no damage. 10-9, Pantoja. 38-38.
Round 5: Van's boxing was sharp, and his constant forward movement made him look like a winner. He picked apart Pantoja and got a knockdown on an exhausted Pantoja. 10-9, Van. 48-47, Van.
Co-Main Event: Tsarukyan KO's Ruffy
In the co-main event, Arman Tsarukyan earned what could be the biggest win of his career, putting knockout artist Mauricio Ruffy to sleep with an elbow in Round 1. The win likely cements Tsarukyan as the top contender for UFC lightweight champion Justin Gaethje.
Tsarukyan did his best to take the fight to the canvas early in Round 1. Ruffy managed to work back to his feet quickly, so Tsarukyan changed tactics, fighting Ruffy while maintaining a clinch along the fence. Moments later, as Ruffy attempted to create space, Tsarukyan connected with a perfect left elbow that immediately took out Ruffy on his feet. Tsarukyan followed up with one more elbow for good measure.
Sharaf Stuns Steveson in 12 Seconds
Also on the main card, heavyweight Sean Sharaf pulled off an all-time UFC upset, knocking out top prospect Gable Steveson in just 12 seconds. Sharaf, who entered Saturday with an 0-2 record in the UFC, knocked out Steveson (4-1) with the second punch he threw. He immediately pressed Steveson with a right hand, then followed with a devastating left hook to Steveson's chin.
It marks the U.S. Olympic gold medalist and two-time NCAA Division I national champion wrestler's first defeat in MMA and is the third-fastest finish in UFC heavyweight history.
"I prayed so hard, worked so hard, and believed in myself," said Sharaf, a former U.S. Marine who went into the bout a substantial betting underdog.
Steveson arrived at Crypto.com Arena in a classic Mercedes convertible with his mentor and all-time great, Jon Jones. He has been considered one of the greatest prospects in MMA since transitioning to the sport in 2025.
Featherweight: Patricio Pitbull def. Dooho Choi by TKO1
Pitbull got back in the win column in impressive fashion, stopping Choi via first-round TKO. Pitbull, 39, was clearly at a speed disadvantage against Choi, 35, but his power made up for it. With nearly two minutes left in the first round, Pitbull connected with a heavy straight right hand that halted Choi on his feet. Seconds later, Choi fell to the canvas, and Pitbull followed with ground-and-pound to force a referee stoppage at 3:28 of the round.
