Joshua Van VS Alexandre Pantoja

Joshua Van retained the UFC flyweight championship with a unanimous decision over Alexandre Pantoja in the main event of UFC 331 in Los Angeles on September 19, 2026, with judges scoring the bout 49-46, 49-47, and 50-45. Van controlled the fight with consistent striking and effective takedown defense across rounds two, three, and five, while Pantoja claimed rounds one and four on the strength of body lock takedowns and smothering top control. The decisive moment came in the fifth round when Van landed a clean five-punch combination that dropped Pantoja, then moved to top position and held control through the final buzzer. The victory marked Van's second successful defense of the flyweight title and delivered a definitive answer to the question left open by their first meeting, which had ended inconclusively due to injury.

Joshua Van defends the UFC flyweight title in a rematch with Alexandre Pantoja, who was forced from their first meeting at UFC 323 with an elbow injury just 26 seconds in. Van has validated the reign with a fifth-round TKO of Tatsuro Taira, while Pantoja — a four-time defending champion before the loss — looks to become just the third flyweight in UFC history to reclaim the belt. The unfinished business between them gives this rematch genuine stakes on both sides.