UFC 331: Van vs Pantoja 2
UFC 331 result: Joshua Van beat Alexandre Pantoja by unanimous decision (49-46, 48-47, 50-45) to defend the flyweight title a second time, and Arman Tsarukyan stopped Mauricio Ruffy with elbows in round one. Full results from all 12 bouts.
Van def. Pantoja — unanimous decision (49-46, 48-47, 50-45), 2nd title defence
Key points
- Joshua Van beat Alexandre Pantoja by unanimous decision (49-46, 48-47, 50-45) to defend the flyweight title a second time
- Unlike the 26-second first fight, this one went the full five rounds — and all three judges had Van
- Co-main: Arman Tsarukyan stopped Mauricio Ruffy with elbows at 4:56 of round one
- Gable Steveson was knocked out by Sean Sharaf in 12 seconds — the fastest finish on the card
- Moicano vs Ortega was cancelled after Ortega's injury, so 12 bouts were contested
Fight card
- MAIN🏆 UFC Flyweight TitleFlyweight
Van def. Pantoja — unanimous decision (49-46, 48-47, 50-45), 2nd title defence
- LightweightArman TsarukyanWINvsMauricio Ruffy
Tsarukyan def. Ruffy — KO (elbows), R1 4:56
- FeatherweightPatricio PitbullWINvsDooho Choi
Pitbull def. Choi — KO (strikes), R1 3:28
- LightweightRenato MoicanovsBrian Ortega
Cancelled — Ortega withdrew injured five days out (Moicano rebooked for 31 October)
- Light HeavyweightAlonzo MenifieldWINvsIwo Baraniewski
Menifield def. Baraniewski — split decision, R3
- HeavyweightGable StevesonvsSean SharafWIN
Sharaf def. Steveson — KO (left hand), R1 0:12
- BantamweightMarlon VeraWINvsCharles Jourdain
Vera def. Jourdain — KO/TKO, R3 2:02
- HeavyweightTai TuivasavsRobelis DespaigneWIN
Despaigne def. Tuivasa — split decision, R3
- MiddleweightEdmen ShahbazyanWINvsBrunno Ferreira
Shahbazyan def. Ferreira — unanimous decision, R3
- FeatherweightGiga ChikadzevsJoanderson BritoWIN
Brito def. Chikadze — KO/TKO, R1 1:57
- Women's FlyweightCasey O'NeillWINvsEduarda Moura
O'Neill def. Moura — submission, R1 3:22
- MiddleweightRyan GandraWINvsOzzy Diaz
Gandra def. Diaz — KO/TKO, R1 2:04
- FeatherweightMichael Aswell Jr.WINvsJooSang Yoo
Aswell Jr. def. Yoo — split decision, R3
Report
Joshua Van beat Alexandre Pantoja by unanimous decision at UFC 331 to defend the flyweight title for a second time. The official scorecards read 49-46, 48-47 and 50-45 — all three judges for Van. Where the first fight ended at 0:26, this one went the full five rounds.
In the co-main, Arman Tsarukyan stopped Mauricio Ruffy with elbows at 4:56 of round one. Sean Sharaf knocked out Gable Steveson in 12 seconds, the fastest finish on the card. Renato Moicano vs Brian Ortega was cancelled after Ortega withdrew injured five days out, so 12 bouts were contested.
Sources: UFC official results and official scorecards, checked 22 September 2026.
Everything below is the pre-event record: schedule, card as announced, and how to watch.
UFC 331's main card starts at 10:00 JST on Sunday, Sept 20 (early prelims 06:30, prelims 08:00 JST), per UFC.com.
Twenty-six seconds is not an answer
At UFC 323 on 6 December 2025, Joshua Van took the flyweight title from Alexandre Pantoja by TKO at 0:26 of round one, after Pantoja's arm gave way. A belt changed hands before either man had thrown anything meaningful. That is the entire case for UFC 331, and it is a good one.
Van is 24, holds Burmese and American nationality, and arrives at 17-2. Pantoja, 30-6, spent years as the division's most durable problem — twelve of those wins are submissions — and gets an immediate shot at the man who took his title in less than half a minute.
Card as announced by UFC on 17 August 2026. Bouts move; check the event page before you plan your morning.
Date, venue and Japan start time
- Local: Saturday 19 September 2026, Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles
- Japan: Sunday 20 September 2026 — main card from 10:00 JST
| Segment | Japan time (JST) |
|---|---|
| Early prelims | Sun 20 Sept, 06:30 |
| Prelims | Sun 20 Sept, 08:00 |
| Main card | Sun 20 Sept, 10:00 |
These are the times UFC publishes in Japan time on its own Japanese event page (checked 18 September 2026). UFC did not publish a US local start time on that page, so none is given here. Remember the Japanese calendar date is one day later than the US date. The time-zone arithmetic is explained in How to Watch UFC in Japan.
Co-main: Tsarukyan vs Ruffy
Arman Tsarukyan vs Mauricio Ruffy is scheduled for five rounds at lightweight — a five-round non-title fight is UFC's way of saying the winner is next in line for something.
Full announced card
Main card
- Joshua Van vs Alexandre Pantoja — flyweight title
- Arman Tsarukyan vs Mauricio Ruffy — lightweight
- Patricio Pitbull vs Dooho Choi — featherweight
- Renato Moicano vs Brian Ortega — lightweight
- Alonzo Menifield vs Iwo Baraniewski — light heavyweight
Preliminary card
- Gable Steveson vs Sean Sharaf — heavyweight
- Marlon Vera vs Charles Jourdain — bantamweight
- Tai Tuivasa vs Robelis Despaigne — heavyweight
- Edmen Shahbazyan vs Brunno Ferreira — middleweight
Early preliminary card
- Giga Chikadze vs Joanderson Brito — featherweight
- Casey O'Neill vs Eduarda Moura — women's flyweight
- Ryan Gandra vs Ozzy Diaz — middleweight
- Michael Aswell Jr. vs JooSang Yoo — featherweight
Around the card
Where UFC 331 sits in the rest of the year — including UFC 332 in Salt Lake City and UFC 333 in Abu Dhabi — is laid out in the UFC 2026 schedule hub. The most recent numbered card was UFC 330: Makhachev vs Machado Garry. If the scoring or the divisions need explaining, see how MMA scoring works and the MMA weight classes guide.
FAQ
- What were the UFC 331 results?
- Joshua Van beat Alexandre Pantoja by unanimous decision to defend the UFC flyweight title for the second time. The official scorecards read 49-46, 48-47 and 50-45 — all three judges for Van (UFC official, checked 22 September 2026).
- How did the co-main, Tsarukyan vs Ruffy, end?
- Arman Tsarukyan stopped Mauricio Ruffy by KO with elbows at 4:56 of round one (UFC official).
- Did Moicano vs Ortega happen?
- No. Brian Ortega withdrew injured five days before the card and the bout was cancelled, so 12 bouts were contested. Renato Moicano was rebooked for a card on 31 October 2026.
- What time does UFC 331 start in Japan?
- The card is over. It ran as UFC announced it: early prelims 06:30, prelims 08:00 and the main card 10:00 JST on Sunday 20 September 2026.
- When and where is UFC 331?
- Saturday 19 September 2026 local time at Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles — Sunday 20 September morning in Japan.
- What is the UFC 331 main event?
- Joshua Van defends the UFC flyweight title against Alexandre Pantoja — a rematch of their UFC 323 bout on 6 December 2025.
- What happened in the first Van vs Pantoja fight?
- Van won the title by TKO at 0:26 of round one at UFC 323 after Pantoja suffered an arm injury. The fight lasted 26 seconds, which is why the rematch was made.
- What is the co-main event?
- Arman Tsarukyan vs Mauricio Ruffy, a five-round lightweight bout.
- How can I watch UFC 331 in Japan?
- On U-NEXT, UFC's Japanese distribution partner through 2031. See our guide to watching UFC in Japan for the current price and the time-zone maths.