Joshua Van Dominates Alexandre Pantoja in Rematch to Retain Flyweight Title

Joshua Van defended his 125-pound championship at UFC 331, out-landing Alexandre Pantoja 259 to 152 in total strikes to secure a unanimous decision.

UFC flyweight champion Joshua Van (18-2) retained his title Saturday at Crypto.com Arena, defeating Alexandre Pantoja (30-7) via unanimous decision in the main event of UFC 331. Judges scored the five-round contest 50-45, 49-46, and 49-47 in favor of the 24-year-old Van. The victory follows their first meeting 10 months ago, which Van won by TKO in 26 seconds after Pantoja suffered a dislocated elbow.

Van utilized high-volume striking to control the rematch, out-landing Pantoja 259 to 152 in total strikes, according to UFC Stats. The champion successfully neutralized the Brazilian challenger's grappling by defending 13 of 18 takedown attempts. During the fifth round, Van dropped Pantoja with a right hand to seal the victory. This performance marked Van's second successful title defense of the year, following a fifth-round knockout of Tatsuro Taira in May.

According to UFC CEO Dana White, the event drew a sellout crowd of 19,357 and generated a live gate of $8.3 million, setting a new record for Crypto.com Arena. White identified Manel Kape (23-7) of Angola, who currently holds a four-fight knockout streak, as the most likely next challenger for Van's 125-pound championship.