Joshua Van beat Alexandre Pantoja across five rounds at UFC 331, answering doubts about their first meeting as several other bouts ended abruptly.
The Associated Press reported that Van defeated the former flyweight champion Saturday in their title rematch. Van improved his listed record to 18-2, while Pantoja fell to 30-7.
The first meeting ended after Pantoja suffered an early injury. This time, the fighters completed five rounds, giving Van the full test that the first bout lacked.
Van recorded 140 significant strikes to Pantoja’s head. The Brazilian landed 99 and escaped a submission attempt, but Van kept control of the fight’s broader pace and output.
Van said many people had called his first victory accidental. After the rematch, he answered them directly: “Now doubt me now.”
Van did not dismiss the opponent who had pushed him through the championship rounds. He praised Pantoja’s toughness and skill after settling the dispute inside the cage.
“Shoutout to Pantoja,” Van said. “Nothing but respect from me.”
That combination mattered. Van defended his standing through five rounds, then gave due credit to the former champion. Confidence did not require contempt.
The official scoring details were not included in the AP account. But the reported strike totals showed a clear edge for Van, who landed 41 more significant head strikes than Pantoja.
Arman Tsarukyan also made his case at lightweight. The No. 2-ranked contender knocked out No. 7 Mauricio Ruffy at 4:56 of the opening round.
Ruffy defended against Tsarukyan’s early takedown attempts. Tsarukyan stayed patient, then used an elbow sequence to stop him just four seconds before the horn.
The victory raised Tsarukyan’s listed record to 24-3 and extended his winning streak to six fights. Ruffy, who entered after a TKO victory over Michael Chandler at UFC Freedom 250, dropped to 14-3.
Tsarukyan said he believed a finish would strengthen his bid for a title fight:
“Of course, for my next fight, for the title fight, I needed that finish, and I knew that I’m gonna finish him. It was a little bit difficult in the first round, but I knew I had five rounds, and my time was going to come. So I was patient.”
His patience lasted almost the entire first round. His opening came before the break, and he did not waste it.
Tsarukyan later joked about wanting a showdown with Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg. The result against Ruffy carried the serious value: another win and a finish over a ranked opponent.
Patricio Pitbull delivered another first-round knockout. The No. 15-ranked featherweight dropped Dooho Choi with a right hand, followed with punches and forced referee Mike Beltran to stop the bout at 3:28.
Pitbull, a former two-division Bellator champion, moved to 38-9. He called the performance his “real debut” and challenged Jean Silva afterward.
Choi, known as “The Korean Superboy,” fell to 17-5-1. He had no chance to recover once Pitbull’s right hand opened the finishing sequence.
Sean Sharaf needed even less time against heavyweight prospect Gable Steveson. Sharaf landed a combination 12 seconds into the bout, and referee Frank Trigg immediately stopped it.
The finish gave Sharaf his first UFC victory and lifted his listed record to 5-2. The AP described the stoppage as tied for the third-fastest knockout in UFC heavyweight history.
Steveson, an Olympic gold medalist, suffered his first professional defeat and fell to 4-1. He left the Octagon before the official announcement.
Sharaf’s reaction was brief: “I’m not surprised.” His performance left little need for a longer explanation.
Alonzo Menifield faced a different sort of test against Iwo Baraniewski. Menifield said he broke his left thumb during the opening round, yet he continued through all three rounds.
A ringside physician examined the thumb before the third round. Menifield stayed in the fight and won a split decision, handing Baraniewski his first professional loss.
Two judges scored the light-heavyweight bout 29-28 for Menifield. The third gave Baraniewski the same 29-28 score, reflecting how little separated the fighters.
Menifield, a Los Angeles native ranked No. 14 in the division, improved to 19-6-1 and earned his second straight victory. Baraniewski dropped to 9-1.
UFC 331 offered several quick endings, but Van’s five-round answer carried the main weight. A disputed first outcome invited talk; the rematch demanded sustained performance.
Arguments only go so far. The cleanest answer still comes from doing the work when the bell rings.
