Updated
Updated · MMA Mania · Aug 15
Dana White Stops UFC 331 Brawl as Van, Pantoja Hype Sept. 19 Rematch
Updated
Updated · MMA Mania · Aug 15

Dana White Stops UFC 331 Brawl as Van, Pantoja Hype Sept. 19 Rematch

3 articles · Updated · MMA Mania · Aug 15

Summary

  • Dana White stepped between Joshua Van and Alexandre Pantoja at the UFC 331 launch press conference after Pantoja rose from his seat and moved toward the champion.
  • The flare-up followed Van's claim he would have beaten Pantoja outright in their first fight and his interruption of Pantoja's remarks, prompting the ex-champion to snap back before advancing.
  • No punches were thrown, and the event ended with the flyweight title rematch still set for Sept. 19 in Los Angeles.
  • The bad blood stems from UFC 323, where Van took the 125-pound belt after Pantoja suffered an early injury and their first title fight ended inconclusively.
  • UFC 331 has 13 confirmed bouts, with Arman Tsarukyan vs. Mauricio Ruffy serving as the co-main event beneath Van-Pantoja 2.

Insights

With Pantoja fully healed, will the UFC 331 rematch expose a fluke victory or cement a new era for the flyweight division?
Is Joshua Van’s explosive press conference outburst a display of true champion confidence or a mask for his controversial title victory?