UFC flyweight champion Joshua Van defeated Alexandre Pantoja by unanimous decision at UFC 331, solidifying his title after their December bout.
Joshua Van (18‑2) defended his 125‑pound UFC flyweight title at UFC 331 in Crypto.com Arena, winning a unanimous decision over Alexandre Pantoja (30‑7) with judges’ scores of 50‑45, 49‑46 and 49‑47. The victory addressed doubts from their first encounter, which Van won via 26‑second TKO after Pantoja dislocated his elbow.
Van, who was born in Myanmar, said, "Don't let your circumstances define your life… A lot of people said it was an accident win the first time. Doubt me now." UFC CEO Dana White reported a sellout crowd of 19,357 and a live gate of $8.3 million, a new record for Crypto.com Arena, and called Van "the greatest thing for this [flyweight] division."
UFC Stats show Van defended 13 of Pantoja’s 18 takedown attempts and out‑landed him 259‑152 in total strikes. Van also attempted a leg lock in the second half and dropped Pantoja with a right hand midway through the final round. He expressed respect for Pantoja’s durability.
The report notes Manel Kape, on a four‑fight knockout streak, as Van’s most obvious next challenger, but provides no further details on future matchups, leaving upcoming fight plans uncertain.