Arman Tsarukyan Earns KO Win While Joshua Van and Alexandre Pantoja Puts on a Thriller at UFC 331

Arman Tsarukyan and Joshua Van continue to build their legacies after winning at UFC 331 in Los Angeles.

Arman Tsarukyan Earns KO Win While Joshua Van and Alexandre Pantoja Puts on a Thriller at UFC 331

Arman Tsarukyan and Joshua Van won at UFC 331 (Image via UFC X Account)

UFC 331 featured two key matchups in its co-main and main event slots. Alexandre Pantoja rematched Joshua Van with the flyweight title on the line. Meanwhile, lightweight rising star Mauricio Ruffy faced top 5 contender Arman Tsarukyan in the co-main event.

Tsarukyan walked out to a huge ovation at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. With the new ‘Batman’ nickname, the Armenian contender knocked out Ruffy towards the end of the first round. Tsarukyan landed an elbow in the clinch and followed it up with one more elbow strike to finish off Ruffy.

The top lightweight contender jumped out of the octagon to shake Dana White’s hand and celebrate with Nina Drama. Meanwhile, his cornermen, Khamzat Chimaev and streamer N3on, jumped inside the octagon with much elation.

Arman Tsarukyan had yet to fight in 2026 until UFC 331, but Ruffy had fought Rafael Fiziev and Michael Chandler before. Nevertheless, ring rust was no issue for the Armenian contender. Commentators were stunned by the result, and Joe Rogan stated a title fight had to be next.

Fans may have expected a submission or a decision win for Tsarukyan, but the Armenian contender had other things in mind. His last KO win came against Beneil Dariush in 2023, and he has added a top striker in Ruffy to his victim list.

It remains to be seen if Tsarukyan will get the next title shot as the UFC had internally discussed rematching Justin Gaethje and Ilia Topuria. ‘The Batman’ has done all that he can to fight for the title. However, the UFC brass doesn’t like his controversial nature.

If not a title fight, Tsarukyan may be pitted against Charles Oliveira in a rematch, which was supposed to happen at UFC 331. Meanwhile, the main event bout delivered in a huge way.

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Joshua Van outlasts Alexandre Pantoja in five-round thriller

Meanwhile, the main event had much hype behind it as the previous bout between Pantoja and Van ended prematurely due to injury. While Pantoja recovered from the injury, Van defeated Tatsuro Taira via TKO to defend the flyweight belt for the first time.

In the first round, the Brazilian secured an early takedown, but Van craftily got back up. The champion landed some got shots, but Pantoja got another takedown as well. In the second round, there was a clash of heads that led to referee Herb Dean momentarily stop the bout to consult the doctor.

Joshua Van defeated Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 331
Joshua Van defeated Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 331 (Image via UFC X Account)

Pantoja was relentless through the first two rounds, making Van reacting to every move. However, the Burmese-American fighter kept his composure. Momentum swung between the two fighters throughout the second round, and Pantoja controlled the back to end the round.

The third round saw Van landing more shots, but Pantoja landed a takedown towards the end of the round. However, Van got back up and hurt the Brazilian with a significant strike before the round ended.

In the fourth round, Pantoja pressured the champion before securing a takedown. The challenger kept Van down for most of the round. Despite the ground control, the Brazilian didn’t land much damage in the round. After the round ended, the champion’s corner told him to go on the offensive.

In the fifth round, Van obeyed the orders from his corner as the champion rocked Pantoja hard. He also knocked Pantoja down, but the Brazilian survived to complete five rounds.

Van retained the title on the judges’ scorecard as they scored 49-46, 48-47, and 50-45. The champion proved that the first fight was no fluke with how he performed. The flyweight champion once again showed why he was confident throughout the buildup.

Van praised Pantoja’s toughness for surviving the knockdown during his octagon interview with Joe Rogan. Meanwhile, Pantoja may have to work his way back up to fight for the title again.

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