(Video) Dana White Intervenes After Joshua Van Triggers Alexandre Pantoja During UFC 331 Presser

Joshua Van is set to rematch Alexandre Pantoja in the main event of UFC 331 after lackluster ending to first meeting at UFC 323.

(Video) Dana White Intervenes After Joshua Van Triggers Alexandre Pantoja During UFC 331 Presser

Alexandre Pantoja and Joshua Van (via Yahoo Sports)

Alexandre Pantoja and Joshua Van first met at UFC 323 with the Brazilian veteran defending the UFC flyweight title. Van caught Pantoja’s high kick, causing the champion to fall awkwardly and suffer a left elbow injury. The injury ended the fight after just 26 seconds, with Van winning by first-round TKO and claiming the championship.

Ever since the December 2025 fight, Pantoja has remained sidelined while recovering from the elbow injury. However, Van did not wait for the former champion’s return and defended his title against Tatsuro Taira at UFC 328. The Burmese-American champion stopped Taira in the fifth round, marking his first successful title defense.

Pantoja and Van will rematch at UFC 331 on September 19 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. Tensions escalated during the press conference when Van interrupted and insulted Pantoja while he was responding about their matchup. Pantoja then approached Van before security intervened, with Dana White stepping between them.

Van has dismissed claims that his victory over Pantoja was a fluke ahead of their UFC 331 rematch. Van pointed to the Brazilian veteran’s status as a black belt while addressing doubts surrounding the result. He remains confident in his ability to defeat Pantoja again when they meet for the flyweight title in September.

Before UFC 323, Pantoja had established himself as one of the UFC’s most dominant champions. He entered the fight with four successful flyweight title defenses after winning the championship in July 2023. His fourth defense came against Kai Kara-France at UFC 317, extending his championship reign before the Van matchup.

Pantoja’s reign faced questions at UFC 301 when Steve Erceg pushed him through five competitive rounds in Rio de Janeiro. Pantoja retained his title by unanimous decision, with all three judges scoring the fight for him. He then strengthened his reign at UFC 310 by submitting Kai Asakura with a rear-naked choke in the second round.

Manel Kape will undoubtedly keep a close eye on the UFC 331 main event after his recent victory over Kyoji Horiguchi. Kape stopped Horiguchi by third-round TKO at UFC Vegas 119 and then targeted Van for a future title fight. The Portuguese-Angolan contender has also spoken about avenging his 2021 decision loss to Pantoja.

Joshua Van will enter the rematch at 24, giving him a 12-year age advantage over 36-year-old Alexandre Pantoja. The tension at the UFC 331 press conference was absent during their first meeting. The champion also carries greater confidence, but ‘The Cannibal’ remains a dangerous and experienced challenge despite his age.

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UFC lightweight contender points fans towards Alexandre Pantoja during hilarious airport incident

Arman Tsarukyan was passed over for the UFC 324 interim lightweight title fight after his strained relationship with the promotion. Since then, the Armenian star has gained popularity through his “side quests” outside the Octagon. He has also appeared with creators including Nina Drama and N3on, expanding his profile beyond MMA.

Tsarukyan last fought in November 2025, defeating Dan Hooker by second-round arm-triangle choke at UFC Qatar. The victory came in the main event and marked Tsarukyan’s return after nearly a year away from competition. He is now scheduled to face Brazilian power puncher Mauricio Ruffy in the UFC 331 co-main event.

Alexandre Pantoja
Alexandre Pantoja (via Bloody Elbow)

Tsarukyan and Alexandre Pantoja crossed paths at an airport after appearing at the UFC 331 press conference in Los Angeles. A video showed Tsarukyan pointing toward Pantoja as fans followed the Armenian lightweight through the airport. The gesture directed the crowd toward Pantoja, leaving the Brazilian flyweight to deal with the group.

Arman Tsarukyan and Alexandre Pantoja have developed a friendship as teammates at American Top Team, working alongside coach Marcos da Matta. The Armenian star previously revealed that Pantoja had returned to training while recovering from his UFC 323 injury. Their friendship was evident again when the two crossed paths during fight week.

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