Joshua Van delivers another impressive performance against Alexandre Pantoja, winning a five-round unanimous decision at UFC 331 main event to retain his flyweight title.
The UFC flyweight division gets the spotlight on Saturday as Joshua Van puts his title on the line against former champion Alexandre Pantoja in the main event of UFC 331 on September 19, 2026, at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California. This rematch carries unfinished business. Their first meeting at UFC 323 ends after just 26 seconds when Pantoja suffers an elbow injury, handing Van the championship in one of the most unusual title fights in recent UFC history. Now, nine months later, there is nowhere to hide as the two finally get the chance to settle the rivalry inside the Octagon.
Van enters the rematch with the belt and a seven-fight winning streak, including a fifth-round TKO victory over Tatsuro Taira in his first title defense. Pantoja, meanwhile, returns determined to reclaim the championship he held for more than two years and prove that the outcome of their first meeting does not define their rivalry.
The fight begins and Pantoja wastes no time getting the fight to the ground, securing an early takedown and quickly moving into mount. Van works his way out and eventually reverses the position before the action returns to the feet. Pantoja continues pressing forward with heavy punches and kicks, while Van answers with sharp combinations. Pantoja scores another late takedown and briefly takes mount, but Van survives the position and gets back to his feet before the horn.
Pantoja starts fast again, pushing Van into exchanges and looking for another takedown. An accidental head clash briefly pauses the action, but the fight resumes after officials determine the clash is unintentional. Pantoja continues mixing his grappling with body kicks, but Van begins finding his rhythm with his boxing. Van stuffs multiple takedown attempts, lands a big right hand and counters effectively before finishing the round with another strong exchange.
Van takes control of the striking battle, swarming Pantoja with combinations and showing a clear advantage in volume. Pantoja continues marching forward and attempts to change levels, but Van reads his takedowns and keeps the fight where he wants it. Van briefly takes Pantoja’s back during a scramble before choosing to return to the feet, where he continues landing clean combinations. Pantoja absorbs the punishment and keeps coming, but Van owns the round.
Pantoja opens with a sharp low-kick-to-high-kick combination before finally securing another takedown. Van remains composed from his back, limiting the damage while Pantoja works from top position. The former champion maintains control against the fence, but Van steadily works his way up and even threatens with a heel hook during the scramble. Pantoja controls portions of the round, but Van’s earlier striking work proves more significant.
Van comes out firing, repeatedly finding Pantoja with straight punches as the former champion tries to close the distance with kicks. Van’s boxing continues to give him the edge, and with less than two minutes remaining, he lands a huge right hand that drops Pantoja. Van follows him to the canvas and briefly attacks the arm before Pantoja escapes. Back on the feet, Van keeps the pressure on and lands more combinations as Pantoja desperately fires back. The fight reaches the final horn with Van firmly in control
“A lot of people said that was an accidental win the first time,” Van says. “Doubt me now.” He says he has nothing but respect for Pantoja, “He’s a tough motherf*cker, man.” He adds that he has no clue how Pantoja avoided his arm submission.
With the five-round battle now behind him, Joshua Van successfully puts another statement on his title reign, defeating the former champion for the second time and proving he can handle Pantoja’s pressure, grappling and experience. The victory keeps Van on top of the flyweight division and gives him another strong defense as he continues to establish himself as one of the division’s leading names.
