UFC 331 has already been described as the card of the year, with multiple first-round finishes and 3 round wars; this card had it all.
Embed from Getty ImagesJoshua Van Destroys Paper Champion Allegations in a Convincing Win Against Pantoja!
After the first fight between Joshua Van and Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 323 ended in a freak injury. Both fighters were eager for the rematch to finally find out who is the real champion of the division.ÃÂ
Alexandre Pantoja refused to touch gloves with the current champion before the fight started, showing his intent to win back the title and show that he is the real champion of the division. As soon as the fight began, Pantoja threw a quick combo and shot for a takedown, which got the fight to the ground. Van did well to use his power to switch the positions and end up on top, before letting the fight get back to the feet. Whilst on the feet, Van used his boxing background to his advantage, landing multiple strikes and combinations on the challenger.
The championâÂÂs momentum moved over to the second, where he landed more punches and even started to increase his rate of defended takedowns. An accidental headbutt momentarily stopped the round, but it continued soon after. Pantoja managed to finally get VanâÂÂs back at the end of the round, but the horn sounded before the Brazilian could manage to do anything with it.
In round 3, all of Joshua VanâÂÂs work became more and more evident. As the champion was landing more and more, the damage on PantojaâÂÂs face became clearer. It was obvious the former champion needed to get the fight to the ground if he wanted to get his belt back.
Which he would have done if it wasnâÂÂt for VanâÂÂs very impressive takedown defence, keeping the fight on the feet. Pantoja finally got a takedown at the start of round 4, with the intent of smothering Van and keeping top position. The floor is where the majority of the round stayed, with Pantoja aiming to get to VanâÂÂs back, but Van held him off, keeping Pantoja in mount.ÃÂ
As the last round began, the fight very well could have been scored 2 apiece. The difference was that Pantoja looked extremely fatigued, while Joshua VanâÂÂs incredible cardio made him look like he could go another 5 rounds. The difference in cardio levels played a major part in how the final round went. The champion Joshua Van kept moving forward, throwing and landing more boxing combos to the body and head of Pantoja.
Near the end of the fight, Van landed a strong right hand dropping Pantoja to the floor. He quickly followed, trying to finish the fight, but Pantoja did well to recover. Van kept the pace up for the rest of the round, finishing the fight strongly. The fight went to the judges, who scored it 49-46, 49-47, and 50-45, all in favour of the champion Joshua Van, who keeps his championship status.ÃÂ
Embed from Getty ImagesArman Tsarukyan Comfortably Defeats Mauricio Ruffy to earn the next title shot!
The UFC lightweight division was rocked at UFC Freedom 250 when Justin Gaethje shocked the world by defeating Ilia Topuria in the main event. There have been many fighters who have had a title shot in the lightweight division, but Arman Tsarukyan has had to wait patiently. After an injury in early 2025, Tsarukyan was forced to drop out of his title contender fight against the former champion Islam Makhachev.
Since then, he has had to earn his title opportunity again, defeating Dan Hooker towards the end of 2025. His opponent, Mauricio Ruffy, is no stranger to a highlight reel, with huge knockouts and impressive wins, quickly rising the ranks of the division. With a win against Arman Tsarukyan, Ruffy would be sure to be one of the next fighters in line to fight for the championship.ÃÂ
The fight started slowly, with both fighters trying to figure each other out. Ruffy stung Arman early on with a right hand, but Tsarukyan shot for the takedown, getting Ruffy against the fence. The rest of the fight was against the cage, with Ruffy doing well to defend the onslaught of takedown attempts Tsarukyan threw his way.
In the last 10 seconds of the fight, the fighters separated from the clinch, and Tsarukyan landed a big elbow, knocking Ruffy straight out. Before the Brazilian event has a chance to fall to the floor, he was dealt another elbow to make sure the fight was finished. Arman Tsarukyan wins via KO!
Embed from Getty Images2 rapid Main Card finishes earn wins for Patricio Pitbull and Sean Sharaf
The 10th fight of the night was a featherweight bout between Brazilian Patricio Pitbull and South Korean Dooho Choi. Both fighters are known for being involved in all-out wars, so it was clear this fight would not reach the judgesâ scorecards. From the start, the fight had very high intensity, with both fighters landing well in the exchange.
However, it was clear that Choi was struggling to deal with the power of Pitbull, who was landing the better shots from the start. 3 minutes into round 1, Pitbull landed a strong right hand, causing Choi to fall in an almost slow-motion style. Pitbull followed his opponent to the floor, landing huge shots on the ground just before referee Mike Beltran could stop the fight. Patricio Pitbull wins via TKO!
The fight before was an all-American heavyweight clash between Gable Steveson and Sean Sharaf. Steveson was the clear favourite for the fight, with legendary UFC fighter Jon Jones as his mentor and training partner. However, it was former US Marine Sean Sharaf who brought the huge upset. Steveson landed a strong leg kick seconds into the fight. But that didnâÂÂt faze Sharaf, who, when only 12 seconds into round 1, landed a huge left hook, dropping Steveson straight to the ground. He followed him to the ground, landing a few more shots, which were not needed as Steveson was already unconscious. Sean Sharaf wins via KO!
Embed from Getty ImagesA war at light-heavyweight kicks off the Main Card
In an attempt to break into the UFCâÂÂs light-heavyweight rankings, undefeated Polish prospect Iwo Baraniewski was looking to get the biggest win of his career against number 14 ranked Alonzo Menifield. Before this fight, every one of BaraniewskiâÂÂs fights within the UFC had lasted less than 90 seconds.ÃÂ
It was Menifield who had the better start in the fight, landing some nice shots and busting BaraniewskiâÂÂs nose. Iwo grew into the fight, landing some shots of his own, including a strong right hand which seemed to hurt Menifield. The fight then quickly made its way to the ground before the end of the first round. Menifield came out in the second round swinging wildly, but also finding some success in his shots.
The second round went back and forth, with both fighters looking like they could finish their opponents, before receiving some damage back themselves. In the final round, it was clear both fighters were heavily fatigued, with the control time on the fence increasing with every passing second. Just before the end of the fight, Menifield lands a big left hand rocking Baraniewski, but before he could capitalise, the fight had ended and gone to the judgesâ scorecards. Alonzo Menifield wins via split decision! (28-29, 29-28, 29-28).
Embed from Getty ImagesMemorable prelims
The first fight of the night had some bad blood, with fighters Giga Chikadze and Joanderson Brito being involved in a âÂÂscuffleâ in the fighter hotel earlier in the week. Both fighters had early success, landing equal exchanges when coming together. Chikadze then landed a huge head kick, stumbling Brito back. It seemed that Brito had blocked the kick, but the impact still appeared to do damage.
Near the 2 minute mark, Chikadze attempted another high kick, but this time he slipped and fell to the floor. Brito followed him to the floor and started throwing heavy ground and pound, finishing the fight 2 minutes into the first. Joanderson Brito wins via TKO.
The second fight of the night featuring Casey OâÂÂNeill. Eduarda Moura had the aim of continuing the fast start that the fight before had set, and it did not disappoint. Only seconds into the fight, Moura managed to get a knockdown and looked to finish the fight quickly.
After landing some big shots on the floor, Moura attempted an anaconda choke to submit her opponent. In one of the craziest reversals the UFC has ever seen, OâÂÂNeill managed to flick her opponent over with her legs, locking in a vicious armbar, causing Moura to tap instantly. Casey OâÂÂNeill wins via submission due to an armbar!
Halfway through the preliminary rounds, Middleweight Ryan Gandra was looking to continue his dominant winning streak against American Ozzy Diaz. The fight started relatively slowly, but it did not take long for Gandra to get into gear. After landing a straight right, the Brazilian threw a flurry of hook shots until Diaz could no longer continue. There were 25 successive strikes thrown in the flurry (not all of them landing), but it was enough to finish the fight. Ryan Gandra wins via TKO. In the post-fight interview, Gandra calls out past champion Israel Adesanya!
The full card results
| Card | Winner | Opponent | Method |
| Main Card | Joshua Van | Alexandre Pantoja | Unanimous Decision |
| Main Card | Arman Tsarukyan | Mauricio Ruffy | KO |
| Main Card | Patricio Pitbull | Dooho Choi | TKO |
| Main Card | Sean Sharaf | Gable Steveson | KO |
| Main Card | Alonzo Menifield | Iwo Baraniewski | Split Decision |
| Prelims | Marlon Vera | Charles Jourdain | TKO |
| Prelims | Robelis Despaigne | Tai Tuivasa | Split Decision |
| Prelims | Michael Aswell Jr | JooSang Yoo | Split Decision |
| Prelims | Ryan Gandra | Ozzy Diaz | TKO |
| Prelims | Edmen Shahbazyan | Brunno Ferreira | Decision â Unanimous |
| Prelims | Casey OâÂÂNeill | Eduarda Mours | Submission â Armbar |
| Prelims | Joanderson Brito | Giga Chikadze | TKO |
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