Joshua Van retained the UFC flyweight championship with a unanimous decision victory over Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 331 in Los Angeles, before disclosing after the fight that he had competed with a torn AC joint in his right shoulder — an injury he said he sustained roughly a month before fight night, preventing him from sparring until the final fortnight of his camp.
The 24-year-old champion from Myanmar revealed at the post-fight press conference that the damage occurred shortly after a pre-fight press conference in Philadelphia. He said the injury had reduced his preparation almost entirely to cardiovascular work, and that he needed to return for MRI scans to establish the full extent of the problem, expressing hope that nothing major would be found.
The fight itself ran the full five rounds, with Pantoja — a 36-year-old Brazilian and former champion — providing a severe examination throughout. Pantoja secured a takedown in the opening round and mixed heavy punches with knees before Van responded with a slicing elbow. Van dominated the second round with persistent jabs, then rocked his opponent with a combination in the third. Pantoja recovered to control the fourth by landing an early takedown, though he was unable to pass Van’s guard or find a submission opening. In the fifth, Van tracked Pantoja down and dropped him with an overhand right, confirming the victory on the scorecards.
Settling the debate over December 2025
Van’s first title win over Pantoja, in December 2025, carried a qualification for some observers: that bout had ended when Pantoja suffered an accidental elbow dislocation a mere 26 seconds in, leaving the question of a healthy contest unanswered. According to BBC MMA, Van was direct in addressing that scepticism after the rematch, stating that those who had doubted him should reconsider. The win extended his professional MMA record to 18 victories and two defeats and represented his second successful title defence, having also beaten Tatsuro Taira in May 2026.
The path to a third defence remains uncertain. MMA Fighting reported that the top contender Manel Kape is considered the clear front-runner as a next challenger, though Van indicated he was open to whoever the matchmakers chose. The timetable will depend in part on the shoulder assessment.
A detail from Van’s preparation added context to the achievement. Training partner Michael Aswell, who competed on the same card and beat Joo Sang Yoo on points, had also been carrying a rib injury throughout camp. Van told reporters that both men had resolved not to withdraw despite their respective problems, and said watching Aswell’s result earlier on the night had served as a motivating boost.
Tsarukyan makes his lightweight case
In the co-main event, Arman Tsarukyan pressed his claim for a shot at lightweight champion Justin Gaethje by stopping Mauricio Ruffy with two elbows in the closing seconds of the first round. The 29-year-old Armenian-Russian improved his record to 24 wins and three losses. Tsarukyan had stated earlier in the week that UFC president Dana White had told him the winner of the bout would be next in line for Gaethje, and he told reporters afterwards that he had specifically sought a finish to make his case unanswerable.
O’Neill continues return to form
Scotland-born Australian flyweight Casey O’Neill recorded her second consecutive stoppage victory since recovering from a serious knee injury that had kept her out of action between August 2024 and March 2026. O’Neill, 28, overcame an early submission attempt from Brazil’s Eduarda Moura before flipping her opponent and transitioning smoothly into an armbar to secure the win. BBC MMA reported the result as O’Neill’s seventh victory since joining the UFC in 2021, from nine fights with the organisation.
Vera ends four-fight skid in emotional fashion
One of the card’s more affecting moments came when Marlon Vera stopped Charles Jourdain in the third round to end a career-worst run of four consecutive defeats. The Ecuadorian bantamweight had lost to Sean O’Malley, Deiveson Figueiredo, Aiemann Zahabi and David Martinez in succession before UFC 331. He told reporters, per MMA Fighting, that he had felt the full weight of the situation walking into the arena, and that he had framed the contest in his mind as fighting for his family’s welfare — describing the prospect of another loss as something he would not have been able to accept. Vera had overhauled his coaching team ahead of the event, parting with his longtime head coach Jason Parillo to work with fellow UFC bantamweight Raul Rosas Jr. and his brothers. It was his 27th UFC appearance; he holds a 16-11 record inside the octagon.