Joshua Van vs. No. 1 contender: more fights to make after UFC 331
UFC 331 is in the books and was arguably the most entertaining card of 2026. The card featured massive upsets, such as Sean Sharaf knocking out Gable Steveson in 12 seconds and Marlon Chito Vera securing his first win since August 2023.
It was a beautiful night of violence, capped off by two of the best fighters on the planet going to war in the main event. Joshua Van defends his flyweight title for the second time against the man he beat to win it.
MORE: UFC 331 results: Joshua Van caps off upset-filled night with dominant win
Van defeats Alexandre Pantoja via unanimous decision. The two elite fighters traded blows on the feet and exchanged positions on the ground. Van clearly won, but the three judges had different scorecards; their scores are listed below.
Sal D’Amato – 49-46
Derek Cleary – 48-47
Ron McCarthy – 50-45
50-45 seems extreme; that fight was too competitive for Pantoja not to win at least one round, likely the fourth. That said, either 48-47 or 49-46 feels right. The only debate is who won the first round; Van caused more damage, but Pantoja had more control time.
MORE: UFC 331 salaries: Full list of fighter payouts
In the co-main event, Arman Tsarukyan made a statement, knocking out Mauricio Ruffy in round one, solidifying his No. 1 contender status.
Huge fights are in store after UFC 331; here’s who the top winners and losers should face next.
Joshua Van vs. Manel Kape (flyweight championship)
Manel Kape is the only logical next opponent for Van. Kape is on a four-fight winning streak, with his last victory coming in June 2026. After a third-round TKO win over Kyoji Horiguchi, Kape has no other contenders to face.
This fight is also guaranteed action. Both fighters are elite strikers who press forward and aren’t afraid of a brawl. Kape vs. Van makes a perfect co-main event on a numbered card, ideally in the first quarter of 2027.
Arman Tsarukyan vs. Justin Gaethje (lightweight championship)
The next title fight in another weight class is clear. Arman Tsarukyan is not only the most deserving contender for the title, but he might be the best non-champion in the UFC.
All he does is dominate fights, and he did so again. Ruffy did start fast, landing on Tsarukyan early. However, once the fight transitioned to a clinch battle, it was Tsarukyan’s fight to lose.
Breaking off the clinch, Tsarukyan landed a vicious elbow, and then another strike as Ruffy was already out cold.
The lightweight division is filled with other contenders like Ilia Topuria, Paddy Pimblett, Charles Oliveira, and more. None of them deserve a title shot more than Tsarukyan. Topuria is coming off a loss to Gaethje, and Pimblett lost to Gaethje two fights ago.
Oliveira is deserving and has a win over Gaethje, but also has a loss to Tsarukyan. Book Tsarukyan vs. Gaethje for a main event in early 2027.
Patricio Pitbull vs. Melquizael Costa (featherweight)
No. 15 Pitbull vs. No. 13 Costa. After a vintage performance from Pitbull, securing a first-round TKO over Dooho Choi, a ranked opponent, is deserved.
Costa is coming off a loss to perennial contender Arnold Allen and needs to fight someone lower in the rankings or someone unranked.
Pitbull’s win was impressive, but theres no need to catapult him into contender status.
Gable Steveson vs Robelis Despaigne (heavyweight)
Both fighters fought on UFC 331; only one had his hand raised. Steveson entered the octagon as a massive favorite over Sean Sharaf, then he got knocked out in 12 seconds.
Despaigne returned to the UFC, facing Tai Tuivasa and winning by split decision. The win wasn’t very encouraging, considering Tuivasa has now lost eight fights in a row. Neither heavyweight is a title contender, or even close. That said, whoever wins can start their climb back up the heavyweight ladder.
— Enjoy free coverage of the top news & trending stories with The Big Lead Newsletter —