UFC 331: Van vs. Pantoja 2: Live Results and Fight Recap

Delinquent MMA

UFC 331 took place Saturday, September 19, 2026, at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California. Early prelims aired at 5:30 p.m. ET on UFC Fight Pass and Paramount+, the prelims at 7 p.m. ET on Paramount+, and the main card at 9 p.m. ET on Paramount+ PPV. The card features 12 fights across three tiers, including a flyweight title rematch and a lightweight bout that could reshape the division’s contender picture.

Joshua Van (17-2) defends the UFC flyweight title for the first time against former champion Alexandre Pantoja (30-6) in a rematch that carries significant unresolved questions. Van won the belt at UFC 323 when Pantoja suffered a catastrophic elbow injury during a first-round scramble, forcing the stoppage in one of the more unusual title changes in recent memory. At 24, Van became the second-youngest UFC champion in history, behind only Jon Jones, but many observers have called for a clean fight to determine who truly belongs at the top of the division. Pantoja, 35, was a multiple-defense champion and widely considered among the best flyweights in history before the injury, and this rematch is his opportunity to reclaim a title he never lost by submission or knockout. The co-main event pairs No. 7-ranked lightweight Arman Tsarukyan (23-3) against No. 2-ranked Mauricio Ruffy (14-2) in a fight with direct title implications at 155 pounds.

The undercard features several compelling matchups, including Georgian featherweight Giga Chikadze facing Joanderson Brito in the early prelims, Casey O’Neill and Eduarda Moura in a women’s flyweight bout, and former Bellator featherweight champion Patricio Pitbull squaring off with Korean striker Doo Ho Choi on the main card. Undefeated Polish light heavyweight Iwo Baraniewski takes on Alonzo Menifield in a matchup between an experienced UFC veteran and a perfect prospect, while 2020 Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson looks to extend his unbeaten streak. Results update below as each fight concludes.

Main Card

Joshua Van vs. Alexandre Pantoja

Flyweight Championship (5 rounds) — Main Event

Official Result: Joshua Van (18-2) defeats Alexandre Pantoja (30-7) via Unanimous Decision (R5, 5:00)

Official scores: 49-46, 49-47, 50-45

RECAP: Joshua Van retained his UFC Flyweight Championship against the crafty former champion in a competitive five-round rematch. Pantoja controlled the opening frame with his timing and precision, but Van found his rhythm over rounds two and three, outworking the veteran with pressure and volume on the feet. Pantoja dug in to steal the fourth round and keep himself alive on the scorecards, but Van dominated the championship round to close the show, putting the fight out of reach with an authoritative final five minutes. The wide scores (49-46, 49-47, 50-45) reflected a clearer Van performance than the round-by-round battle suggested, cementing his status as the division’s premier fighter in only his second title defense.

Arman Tsarukyan vs. Mauricio Ruffy

Lightweight — Co-Main Event

Official Result: Arman Tsarukyan (24-3) defeats Mauricio Ruffy (14-3) via KO (Elbow) (R1, 4:56)

RECAP: Tsarukyan closed the distance in the final seconds and drove a sharp elbow into Ruffy’s face, sending the Brazilian to the canvas and ending the co-main event at 4:56 of round one. Ruffy had defended Tsarukyan’s takedown attempts throughout the round and shown his striking range, but one clean elbow from the Armenian lightweight extinguished the lights and settled the title-contender debate at 155 pounds.

Patricio Pitbull vs. Doo Ho Choi

Featherweight — Main Card

Official Result: Patricio Pitbull (38-9) defeats Doo Ho Choi (17-5-1) via TKO (Punches) (R1, 3:28)

RECAP: Patricio Pitbull returned to form with a dominant first-round stoppage of Doo Ho Choi, landing a right hand that stiffened the Korean striker and following with an uppercut that sent him to the canvas. Pitbull swarmed with punches and elbows on the ground until the referee stepped in at 3:28 of round one, cementing the former Bellator champion’s most emphatic UFC win to date.

Gable Steveson vs. Sean Sharaf

Heavyweight — Main Card

Official Result: Sean Sharaf (5-2) defeats Gable Steveson (4-1) via KO (Punch) (R1, 0:12)

RECAP: Sean Sharaf delivered one of the most stunning upsets on the UFC 331 card, knocking out undefeated 2020 Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson with a single punch just 12 seconds into the opening round. Steveson, who had finished all four of his previous UFC opponents in the first round, was caught clean before he could establish his wrestling, ending his unbeaten run in the most emphatic fashion possible.

Alonzo Menifield vs. Iwo Baraniewski

Light Heavyweight — Main Card

Official Result: Alonzo Menifield (19-6-1) defeats Iwo Baraniewski (9-1) via Split Decision (R3, 5:00)

RECAP: Menifield grinded out a split decision over unbeaten Polish prospect Iwo Baraniewski, fighting through a badly broken thumb sustained in the opening round to earn the nod on two of three scorecards. Baraniewski had moments and kept the fight competitive, but Menifield’s UFC experience and pressure game carried enough of the rounds to take the narrow decision and hand the prospect his first professional loss.

Prelims

Marlon Vera vs. Charles Jourdain

Bantamweight — Prelims

Official Result: Marlon Vera (24-12-1) defeats Charles Jourdain (18-9-1) via TKO (Punches) (R3, 2:02)

RECAP: Vera started slowly but rallied to take over the fight with sharp left hands that buckled Jourdain in the later rounds. Three knockdowns accumulated across the bout, the last coming in round three when a Vera left hand put Jourdain down for the final time. Referee Mike Beltran stopped the contest at 2:02 of the third, giving Vera his first win in three years.

Tai Tuivasa vs. Robelis Despaigne

Heavyweight — Prelims

Official Result: Robelis Despaigne (7-2) defeats Tai Tuivasa (14-11) via Split Decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28) (R3, 5:00)

RECAP: Robelis Despaigne earned his first-ever decision win in a competitive three-round heavyweight scrap against Tai Tuivasa. Despaigne controlled the distance with his boxing pedigree and did enough work to earn the nod on two of the three scorecards, while Tuivasa had his moments but could not land the fight-ending shot that has defined his best performances. The loss extends Tuivasa’s losing streak to eight straight, tying the longest in UFC heavyweight history.

Michael Aswell Jr. vs. Joo Sang Yoo

Featherweight — Prelims

Official Result: Michael Aswell Jr. (12-5) defeats Joo Sang Yoo (9-2) via Split Decision (R3, 5:00)

RECAP: Michael Aswell Jr. snapped a two-fight skid with a split decision victory over Joo Sang Yoo in a back-and-forth featherweight prelim. The three rounds saw both men have success, with the judges ultimately rewarding Aswell on two of three scorecards.

Ryan Gandra vs. Ozzy Diaz

Middleweight — Prelims

Official Result: Ryan Gandra (11-1) defeats Ozzy Diaz (10-5) via KO (Punches) (R1, 2:04)

RECAP: Gandra charged forward from the opening bell and landed a sharp combination that buckled Diaz early, then swarmed with follow-up punches to earn his third consecutive first-round stoppage in the UFC at 2:04 of round one. Diaz, fighting in front of a home crowd in Los Angeles, had no answer for the Brazilian’s relentless finishing pressure.

Early Prelims

Edmen Shahbazyan vs. Brunno Ferreira

Middleweight — Early Prelims

Official Result: Edmen Shahbazyan (17-6) defeats Brunno Ferreira (15-5) via Unanimous Decision (R3, 5:00)

RECAP: Shahbazyan controlled the pace through the first two rounds with sharp combinations and effective distance management, keeping Ferreira’s pressure offense from finding a clean home. Ferreira rallied in the third but Shahbazyan answered with a burst in the final minute, landing two knockdowns to close the round emphatically. The judges rewarded Shahbazyan by scores of 29–28, 29–28, and 30–27.

Casey O’Neill vs. Eduarda Moura

Women’s Flyweight — Early Prelims

Official Result: Casey O’Neill (12-2) defeats Eduarda Moura (12-3) via Submission (Armbar) (R1, 3:20)

O’Neill secured a clinch early and dragged Moura to the mat, transitioning to mount before snatching the armbar and wrenching it at 3:20 of round one. Moura had no answer once O’Neill locked in the position, tapping before the joint gave way.

Giga Chikadze vs. Joanderson Brito

Featherweight — Early Prelims

Official Result: Joanderson Brito (20-5-1) defeats Giga Chikadze (15-7) via TKO (Punches) (R1, 1:57)

Brito swarmed Chikadze from the opening seconds, landed a straight left that put the Georgian down, then immediately went to work on the ground with punches until referee Herb Dean stepped in at 1:57 of round one. Chikadze had no answer for the pace, and Brito extended his finishing streak to three straight fights, all inside the first round.

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