Joshua Van cemented his reign at UFC 331, outmaneuvering Alexandre Pantoja to retain the flyweight title. The Burmese star put on an all-time performance to beat the former champion by unanimous decision, with the judges scoring the fight 49-46, 48-47, and 50-45 in Van’s favor.
Pantoja entered the rematch after recovering from an elbow injury following their infamous first meeting at UFC 323. That fight ended in just 26 seconds after a freak accident, with Pantoja losing his title and plenty of fans believing Van’s victory was a fluke.
The rematch gave the Brazilian a chance to prove that he would have beaten Van if their first fight had continued. That theory quickly went out the window. The intensity was there from the opening bell, with Pantoja refusing to shake Van’s hand during the glove touch.
Pantoja refused to touch gloves 😳
📺 #UFC331 on @paramountplus pic.twitter.com/VJTSXypdmu
— UFC on Paramount+ (@UFConParamount) September 20, 2026
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The former champion immediately came forward and scored a takedown inside the first 10 seconds. Van eventually reversed the position, and once they returned to their feet, the two began trading bombs at a ridiculous pace.
Van kept pressing forward behind a sharp left jab and repeatedly found Pantoja, while the Brazilian fired back with combinations of his own. Pantoja scored another late takedown, but Van quickly worked his way back up and landed a few more punches before the horn.
The second round brought more chaos, but the action was briefly halted after an accidental head clash left Pantoja cut. The Brazilian was visibly furious and appeared to accuse Van of intentionally using his head before the cageside doctor checked the damage.
Once the fight resumed, Pantoja went right back to hunting for takedowns. Van, however, was making the necessary adjustments and giving the former champion fewer opportunities to control him on the ground. At one point, Van ended up on top but chose to stand back up, clearly wanting to keep the fight on the feet.
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Pantoja eventually secured another takedown and briefly took Van’s back, but he couldn’t find a submission before the round ended. Both fighters showed visible damage heading into Round 3. Van continued marching forward while doing a much better job of defending Pantoja’s takedown attempts.
The Brazilian still managed to get Van to the canvas, but he couldn’t do much with the position. Once Van got back to his feet, he unloaded powerful combinations to close out the round. Pantoja opened Round 4 with a slick combination capped by a head kick before securing another takedown. Once again, though, Van stayed busy from his back, throwing strikes and even attacking a heel hook.
Pantoja maintained control but struggled to create much offense. The final round belonged largely to Van. His combinations continued to find the mark, and he briefly rocked Pantoja midway through the round. With less than two minutes remaining, Van landed a beautiful combination that sent Pantoja crashing to the canvas.
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He followed him down and looked for the finish before briefly attempting a kimura. Pantoja survived, but Van continued unloading until the final horn. The victory gave Van his second successful title defense after previously beating Tatsuro Taira in May at UFC 328.
More importantly, he answered the biggest question surrounding his reign: his first win over Pantoja was no fluke. The 24-year-old has now won eight in a row dating back to September 2024. The victory over Pantoja lifted his professional record to 18-2 and his UFC record to 11-1.
For Pantoja, the 36-year-old now faces his second straight defeat after putting together an all-time title reign that included four successful defenses. The Brazilian has already established himself as one of the best flyweights of his generation, but it will be interesting to see where he goes from here.
Kshitiz Kumar Singh is a UFC Writer at NY Fights with over three years of experience in sports journalism and content creation. Known for his sharp storytelling and passion for combat sports, he has written in-depth features on stars like Brock Lesnar, Randy Couture, and Ilia Topuria. Before joining NY Fights, Kshitiz worked as a UFC Editor at EssentiallySports while currently serving as a WWE Editor at FirstSportz. His admiration for legends like Georges St-Pierre continues to inspire his detailed and engaging MMA coverage. Whether he’s covering the Octagon or the squared circle, Kshitiz is committed to delivering accurate, high-quality content. Outside the world of sports, he’s a dedicated cinephile, often found practicing monologues from his favorite Al Pacino films, combining his love for cinema with storytelling.
