UFC 331 Winners Face Media After Flyweight Title Fight in Los Angeles

Q: How did Joshua Van silence his doubters after a controversial first fight to solidify his flyweight reign?

Joshua Van silenced the doubts by doing what his critics said he had not done the first time: beating Alexandre Pantoja cleanly over 25 minutes. At UFC 331 in Los Angeles, Van retained the flyweight title by unanimous decision after a high-level rematch that removed the controversy from their injury-shortened first meeting. The key to Van’s statement win was how complete it looked. He outstruck Pantoja at a relentless pace, repeatedly landed sharp boxing combinations, and opened cuts on the former champion as the fight wore on. Just as important, he showed clear improvement in the area many believed would decide the fight: grappling defense. Pantoja secured takedowns and had control moments, especially in the first and fourth rounds, but Van stuffed most of the attempts and consistently refused to stay pinned down. Van also finished stronger, which mattered in a bout framed as the true answer to whether he deserved the belt. In the fifth round, he pulled away with his cleanest work, including a knockdown that underlined his control of the fight and left Pantoja bloodied and unsteady at the end. That performance carried extra weight because Van’s original title win over Pantoja had lasted only 26 seconds after Pantoja suffered a freak arm injury. Since then, Van had already added legitimacy with a title defense against Tatsuro Taira, but beating Pantoja outright in a five-round battle was the clearest proof. His post-fight message captured the point: “Doubt me now.”

Q: Will Arman Tsarukyan's devastating first-round knockout finally force the UFC to hand him a lightweight title shot?

Yes—Tsarukyan’s first-round knockout should make him the leading candidate for the next UFC lightweight title shot, though it still may not guarantee it. The case is strong. Tsarukyan entered UFC 331 already ranked No. 2 at lightweight and on a five-fight winning streak, with a 10-1 run since his loss to Islam Makhachev years ago. Against Mauricio Ruffy, he did what he said he needed to do: make a statement. He controlled much of the round, then flattened Ruffy with elbows at 4:56 of Round 1. It was his sixth straight win and a high-impact finish over a dangerous top contender in a bout widely framed as a title eliminator. Tsarukyan himself made clear afterward that he believed a finish was necessary to secure the shot, saying he “needed that finish” for a title fight. On merit, that argument is hard to dismiss. He has beaten credible opponents, stayed active, and answered questions about whether he could still produce highlight-reel endings. The complication is not sporting merit but UFC matchmaking. Justin Gaethje is champion, and Ilia Topuria has already begun angling for a rematch after losing the belt. Charles Oliveira also remains in the mix, and UFC title decisions do not always follow a strict contender ladder. So the knockout probably should force the issue competitively. But in UFC terms, it makes Tsarukyan the clear No. 1 contender more than it guarantees the promotion will act accordingly.

3 articles · Updated · Yahoo Sports · Sep 20

UFC 331’s winners took questions at a post-fight press conference after the event wrapped at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.
Joshua Van and Alexandre Pantoja headlined the card with the UFC flyweight title at stake, making that bout the focal point of the post-event media session.
Arman Tsarukyan, Mauricio Ruffy and Gable Steveson also featured among the night’s notable winners as the promotion closed out the card.