Monster Energy's Joshua Van Defeats Alexandre Pantoja to Retain UFC Flyweight Championship Title at UFC 331 in Los Angeles

Monster Energy's Joshua Van Defeats Alexandre Pantoja to Retain UFC Flyweight Championship Title at UFC 331 in Los Angeles

24-Year-Old Van Earns Unanimous Decision Victory and $100,000 Bonus Marlon "Chito" Vera from Ecuador Achieves Third-Round TKO Victory Over Charles Jourdain for $25,000 Finish Bonus, Sets Record for Most Knockdowns in UFC Bantamweight History

LOS ANGELES , Sept. 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- And still the champ! Monster Energy congratulates MMA athlete Joshua Van on defeating Alexandre Pantoja and retaining the UFC Flyweight Championship title at UFC 331 in Los Angeles on Saturday night. In the highly anticipated main event fight, the 24-year-old Myanmar-born fighter asserted his dominance to earn the victory by unanimous decision. The relentless five-round battle also earned both fighters the $100,000 Fight of the Night bonus. Monster Energy's Joshua Van Defeats Alexandre Pantoja to Retain UFC Flyweight Championship Title at UFC 331 in Los Angeles In the night's featured Prelims fight, 33-year-old Marlon Vera from Chone, Ecuador, snapped a four-fight losing streak with a third-round TKO victory over Charles Jourdain. The stoppage also earned "Chito" Vera a $25,000 Finish Bonus. UFC 331: Van vs. Pantoja 2 was contested in front of a live crowd of 19,357 spectators inside Crypto .com Arena in Los Angeles. Featuring a total of five bouts on the Main Card and seven prelims, UFC 331 was broadcast live on Paramount+. In Saturday night's title fight, Monster Energy's Van (18-2) stepped into the Octagon as the reigning UFC Flyweight Champion after most recently defending the belt against Tatsuro Taira at UFC 328 in May 2026. Van originally took the title at UFC 323 in December 2025 after Pantoja suffered a freak arm injury early in the fight, with Pantoja's camp immediately pushing for a return bout. In the highly anticipated rematch, former champion Pantoja (30-7) of Brazil came to Los Angeles hoping to reclaim the title he commanded for more than two years before ceding to Van. Time to settle the score once and for all! The championship bout opened with intense energy as both fighters collided in the middle of the Octagon. Pantoja secured a takedown in the opening seconds of the fight, testing Van's grappling defenses and applying pressure from the top. But once the fight returned to standing, the reigning champ found his rhythm to unload punches and combinations on Pantoja for significant damage. On the strength of his superior striking, Van gained the upper hand in the second round and bloodied the former champ, opening several cuts on the Brazilian's face. As Pantoja refused to back down in the high-pressure fight, Van shut down numerous takedown attempts and kept pummeling the Brazilian with superior striking volume. Round 4 marked a final stand for Pantoja, who held down Van for most of the round while frantically looking to secure a submission. But the champ stood his ground. The fifth and final round had the Los Angeles crowd on its feet as Van put on a striking masterclass to dominate the ex-champion. With Pantoja swinging wildly in the final minutes, Van found openings for precise combinations and heavy counterstrikes that left the Brazilian bloodied and wobbly. In the fight's key scene and only knockdown, Van brought Pantoja to the canvas with a swift one-two combination to the jaw. The champion immediately pursued to get the submission, but Pantoja held on until the final bell. When the judges went to their scorecards, defending champion Van prevailed by shutting down his opponent's grappling and landing 259 significant strikes in a relentless battle between unyielding opponents. As the winner by unanimous decision (50-45, 49-46, 49-47), Van secured his second title defense as the UFC's first Myanmar-born champion and silenced the critics once and for all. "A lot of people said that was an accidental win the first time. Doubt me now," said Monster Energy's Van after retaining his title at UFC 331, adding: "Shout out to Pantoja, nothing but respect from me!" The headline bout also earned the $100,000 Fight of t...