Joshua Van did not just retain the UFC flyweight championship. He removed the asterisk that had followed him since the night he first took the belt from Alexandre Pantoja.
Van defeated Pantoja by unanimous decision in the UFC 331 main event Saturday at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. The scorecards read 50 to 45, 49 to 47 and 49 to 46 after a demanding five round fight that gave both men chances to impose their best weapons.
The main event completed a card filled with consequences. Arman Tsarukyan knocked out Mauricio Ruffy with four seconds remaining in the first round. Patricio Pitbull finally produced his signature UFC finish. Marlon Vera ended a four fight losing streak. Casey O'Neill delivered a first round armbar. Then Sean Sharaf turned Gable Steveson's coronation into one of the biggest upsets in UFC history.
Joshua Van settles the debate
Van's first win over Pantoja came after only 26 seconds when the former champion suffered a freak elbow dislocation. Van defended the title against Tatsuro Taira, but the questions remained until he shared the cage with Pantoja again.
Pantoja immediately showed why he had ruled the division for more than two years. He took Van down in the opening round, landed heavy punches and knees, and forced the younger champion to solve the fight in real time. Van's corner gave him the correct message between rounds: stop brawling with an opponent who thrives in chaos.
Van adjusted. His jab became the most reliable weapon in the fight, his combinations arrived with more precision, and his takedown defense forced Pantoja to work harder for every grappling exchange. Pantoja controlled much of the fourth round on the ground, but he could not find the submission that would have changed the fight.
Van closed like a champion. He pressed forward in the fifth round and dropped Pantoja with an overhand right, creating the clearest moment of the final five minutes. Pantoja accumulated nearly 10 minutes of control time, but Van consistently delivered the cleaner and more damaging offense.
There is no longer any debate over how Van became champion. At 24 years old, with an 18 and 2 professional record and two successful title defenses, he is the standard at 125 pounds.
What should come next
Van should defend against Manel Kape. Kape presents the speed, power and confidence required to turn a flyweight title fight into a major event. He is also a fresh matchup for a champion who has already beaten Taira and Pantoja.
Pantoja should face Tatsuro Taira. It gives the former champion an elite younger contender, gives Taira a path back toward the belt and prevents an immediate third fight with Van after a clear decision.
Arman Tsarukyan forces the title shot conversation
Tsarukyan spent nearly the entire opening round patiently moving Ruffy toward the fence. With the clock about to expire, he pinned Ruffy in place, hurt him with a left elbow and finished the fight with a right elbow at 4:56.
It was the kind of finish Tsarukyan needed. He did not simply beat a dangerous knockout artist. He knocked him out at his own game. The victory extended Tsarukyan's winning streak to six, and he immediately called for lightweight champion Justin Gaethje.
That is the fight the UFC should make. Tsarukyan versus Gaethje is the clearest sporting decision at lightweight. Tsarukyan has done enough waiting, and another contender fight would create more delay in a division that already has several stars competing for position.
Ruffy should return against Benoit Saint Denis. It would give both men a dangerous but sensible opportunity to remain near the front of the lightweight conversation.
Sean Sharaf produces the upset of the year
Steveson entered UFC 331 as a favorite of approximately minus 2500 at some sportsbooks. Sharaf was available as high as plus 1100. Twelve seconds later, every projection was meaningless.
Sharaf landed one clean punch and knocked out the Olympic gold medalist before Steveson could establish his wrestling. It was the third fastest knockout in UFC heavyweight history and one of the largest betting upsets the promotion has ever seen.
The result changes both careers immediately. Sharaf went from being presented as an opponent to owning one of the most valuable wins in the heavyweight division. Steveson remains an extraordinary athlete, but the aura of inevitability around his MMA rise is gone.
Sharaf should fight Robelis Despaigne next. Despaigne won a split decision over Tai Tuivasa on the same card, and the matchup would test Sharaf against another physically imposing heavyweight while giving the division a fresh attraction.
Steveson should take time, rebuild and return against a developmental opponent. Throwing him directly into another name fight would prioritize attention over development.
Pitbull finally gets his UFC moment
Patricio Pitbull knocked out Doo Ho Choi at 3:28 of the first round and finally looked like the feared finisher who built his reputation outside the UFC. Pitbull did not allow the fight to become a prolonged technical exchange. He pressured, found the opening and ended it.
Afterward, Pitbull called out Jean Silva. The UFC should accept the suggestion. Silva brings pace, danger and personality, while Pitbull brings championship experience and a renewed sense of momentum. It is a fight that would immediately reveal how close Pitbull is to the true featherweight elite.
Choi should be matched with another veteran outside the rankings rather than being sent back into a rising contender.
Menifield survives Baraniewski and a brutal injury
Alonzo Menifield handed Iwo Baraniewski his first professional loss by split decision, winning 29 to 28 on two scorecards. Menifield entered as approximately a plus 205 underdog and fought through a badly damaged thumb to secure the result.
It was not the cleanest victory of the night, but it was one of the toughest. Menifield neutralized enough of Baraniewski's pressure and power to protect his position in the light heavyweight rankings.
Menifield versus Dominick Reyes would be the right next test. It gives both veterans a meaningful ranked fight and places the winner within reach of the division's upper tier. Baraniewski should face another experienced opponent before the UFC tries to accelerate him again.
Marlon Vera ends the slide
Vera entered his fight with Charles Jourdain on a four fight losing streak and as roughly a plus 170 underdog. He left with a third round technical knockout after breaking Jourdain down and forcing the stoppage at 2:02.
The win mattered because Vera looked urgent again. He did not wait for one dramatic moment while allowing rounds to disappear. He increased the damage, stayed on Jourdain and finished the fight when the opportunity arrived.
A rematch with Rob Font makes sense. Font defeated Vera in 2022, and both men now occupy the veteran gatekeeper tier of the bantamweight division. The winner would earn one more chance against a ranked climber.
Casey O'Neill makes a statement
O'Neill submitted Eduarda Moura with a first round armbar at 3:22 and earned one of the night's $100,000 performance bonuses. The finish was fast, technical and decisive against another ranked flyweight.
O'Neill should face Miranda Maverick next. It is a logical rankings fight between well rounded contenders trying to move from the middle of the division into the title conversation.
The other major prelim stories
Joanderson Brito knocked out Giga Chikadze at 1:56 of the first round and extended his winning streak to three. Brito should face Bryce Mitchell or Dan Ige next. Either matchup would test whether his finishing power can carry him into the upper featherweight rankings.
Robelis Despaigne defeated Tai Tuivasa by split decision in a strange heavyweight fight that lasted all three rounds. The win matters, but the performance showed that Despaigne still needs development. A fight with Sharaf now has a clear story and real stakes.
Michael Aswell defeated Joo Sang Yoo by split decision as roughly a plus 225 underdog. It was the quietest major upset on the card and the biggest win of Aswell's career. He should receive another step forward against an opponent just outside the featherweight rankings.
Ryan Gandra knocked out Ozzy Diaz at 2:04 of the first round, giving him three consecutive first round finishes to begin his UFC career. The promotion can raise the difficulty now.
Edmen Shahbazyan defeated Brunno Ferreira by unanimous decision and showed the composure required to avoid Ferreira's power. Shahbazyan should get another established middleweight rather than a prospect matchup.
UFC 331 full results
Main card
Joshua Van defeated Alexandre Pantoja by unanimous decision, 50 to 45, 49 to 47 and 49 to 46.
Arman Tsarukyan defeated Mauricio Ruffy by first round knockout at 4:56.
Patricio Pitbull defeated Doo Ho Choi by first round knockout at 3:28.
Sean Sharaf defeated Gable Steveson by first round knockout at 0:12.
Alonzo Menifield defeated Iwo Baraniewski by split decision, 29 to 28, 29 to 28 and 28 to 29.
Preliminary card
Marlon Vera defeated Charles Jourdain by third round technical knockout at 2:02.
Robelis Despaigne defeated Tai Tuivasa by split decision, 29 to 28, 29 to 28 and 28 to 29.
Michael Aswell defeated Joo Sang Yoo by split decision, 29 to 28, 29 to 28 and 28 to 29.
Ryan Gandra defeated Ozzy Diaz by first round knockout at 2:04.
Edmen Shahbazyan defeated Brunno Ferreira by unanimous decision, 29 to 28, 29 to 28 and 30 to 27.
Casey O'Neill defeated Eduarda Moura by first round armbar at 3:22.
Joanderson Brito defeated Giga Chikadze by first round knockout at 1:56.
The biggest upsets
Sharaf's win over Steveson stands alone. A plus 1000 underdog knocking out a minus 2500 favorite in 12 seconds is the kind of result that instantly becomes part of UFC history.
Menifield over Baraniewski, Vera over Jourdain and Aswell over Yoo were the other notable underdog victories. Together, they made UFC 331 a reminder that prospect momentum and betting prices disappear the moment the cage closes.
Performance bonuses
Van and Pantoja earned Fight of the Night. Casey O'Neill and Tsarukyan earned $100,000 performance bonuses. Sharaf received the $50,000 Proper Chaos bonus, and UFC president Dana White matched it with an additional $50,000. Brito, Gandra, Vera and Pitbull received $25,000 finish bonuses.
UFC 331 accomplished what a great event should. It answered the biggest question at the top of the card, created a clear title challenger, changed the direction of several divisions and delivered a historic upset that nobody will forget.