Joshua Van retained his UFC flyweight title with a unanimous-decision victory over Alexandre Pantoja in the main event of UFC 331 in Los Angeles on Saturday night. Van, the first UFC champion from Myanmar, secured the win with scores of 49-46, 49-47, and 50-45, according to Al Jazeera.

A Re-match to Settle the Score

This was Van’s second encounter with Pantoja after their first fight in December last year ended with an accidental elbow dislocation 26 seconds into the bout. That result led to Van being named UFC flyweight champion without an outright win over the Brazilian, who had held the title for at least two years. Pantoja had been waiting for a re-match while recovering from the injury.

Van had previously defended his title against Tatsuro Taira in May, but this victory against Pantoja helped solidify his status as the best in the 125-pound (56.7kg) division.

Strategic Adjustments and a Decisive Win

During the first round, Pantoja took Van down and delivered heavy punches and knees; Van responded with a slicing elbow but was told by his coaches to adopt a more tactical approach. “You’re too good to brawl with this guy,” they advised.

In the second round, Van peppered Pantoja with left-handed jabs; he then rocked the Brazilian with a fluid combination of punches in the third round; Pantoja controlled the fourth round with another takedown but failed to secure a submission.

The final round saw Van take control, stalking Pantoja and knocking him down with an overhand right, though the unanimous decision confirmed Van’s dominance on the night.

“A lot of people said that was an accidental win … well, doubt me now,” Van said after his second title defence, which improved his professional MMA record to 18 wins and two losses.

Other Notable Fights at UFC 331

In the co-main event, Armenian contender Arman Tsarukyan made a strong case for a lightweight title shot with a first-round knockout of Mauricio Ruffy — Tsarukyan pinned Ruffy to the cage, delivered a left elbow, and finished the fight with a right elbow with just four seconds remaining.

“I knew my time would come, so I was patient,” said Tsarukyan, who extended his win streak to six fights and called for a bout with lightweight champion Justin Gaethje.

Patricio Pitbull, a former four-time, two-division Bellator champion, earned his first UFC stoppage win by dismantling South Korea’s Dooho Choi via total knockout (TKO) in just three minutes and 28 seconds of the first round. The 38-year-old Pitbull overwhelmed Choi with sharp volume striking before landing a devastating right hand that forced the referee to stop the fight.

Sean Sharaf also made headlines with one of the year’s most stunning upsets, defeating Gable Steveson via TKO in just 12 seconds of the first round. Steveson had entered the Octagon as a massive betting favorite but was caught immediately by Sharaf’s flurry of strikes — the 12-second finish marked the third-fastest knockout in UFC heavyweight history.

A visibly frustrated Steveson refused to stay inside the Octagon as Sharaf’s hand was raised in victory, while Sharaf celebrated the landmark win in front of an electric crowd.