UFC 331 Results: Joshua Van Beats Alexandre Pantoja, Sean Sharaf Stuns Gable Steveson in 12 Seconds
UFC 331 delivered a dramatic night in Los Angeles as Joshua Van successfully defended his flyweight championship against Alexandre Pantoja, Arman Tsarukyan strengthened his lightweight title credentials with a first-round knockout of Mauricio Ruffy, and Sean Sharaf shocked Olympic champion Gable Ste
LOS ANGELES, September 20, 2026: UFC 331 is complete, and the latest numbered event produced one of the most eventful fight cards of the year.
Flyweight champion Joshua Van defeated former champion Alexandre Pantoja by unanimous decision in the main event at Crypto.com Arena, answering many of the questions left by their unusual first meeting.
The judges scored Saturday's five-round championship fight 49-46, 48-47 and 50-45 for Van.
The co-main event ended much sooner.
Lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan knocked out Mauricio Ruffy with elbows at 4:56 of the first round, delivering a major statement in the crowded 155-pound title picture.
But the result generating perhaps the greatest immediate reaction came in the heavyweight division.
Recommended Reading
Related Stories & In-Depth Guides
Curated editorial perspectives matching this topic.
Japanese triathlete Takumi Hojo delivered the first gold medal of the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games, winning the men’s individual triathlon in Gamagori in 52 minutes 56 seconds. The home favourite broke away during the run to defeat China’s Zhang Xirui by nine seconds, while the victory also earned
College football Week 3 delivered major SEC drama, ranked-team upsets and several dominant performances across the country. No. 8 Ole Miss defeated No. 7 LSU 32-24 in Lane Kiffin’s emotional return to Oxford, Florida survived Auburn 44-39, Clemson rallied past North Carolina 28-20, and Kentucky stun
Sean Sharaf knocked out Gable Steveson just 12 seconds into Round 1, handing the Olympic wrestling champion his first professional MMA defeat and producing a major upset.
Patricio Pitbull also stopped Dooho Choi in the opening round, while Marlon Vera returned to the win column with a third-round stoppage of Charles Jourdain on the preliminary card.
Key Takeaways
Joshua Van retains the flyweight title by unanimous decision over Alexandre Pantoja.
Arman Tsarukyan knocks out Mauricio Ruffy at 4:56 of Round 1.
Sean Sharaf shocks Gable Steveson with a 12-second knockout.
Patricio Pitbull stops Dooho Choi in the first round.
Marlon Vera ends his losing streak with a third-round TKO of Charles Jourdain.
Casey O’Neill submits Eduarda Moura via armbar in Round 1.
UFC 331 Complete Results
Main card
Fight
Result
Joshua Van vs Alexandre Pantoja
Van wins by unanimous decision — 49-46, 48-47, 50-45
Arman Tsarukyan vs Mauricio Ruffy
Tsarukyan wins by KO, elbows — Round 1, 4:56
Patricio Pitbull vs Dooho Choi
Pitbull wins by KO/TKO — Round 1, 3:28
Gable Steveson vs Sean Sharaf
Sharaf wins by KO — Round 1, 0:12
Alonzo Menifield vs Iwo Baraniewski
Menifield wins by split decision — 28-29, 29-28, 29-28
Preliminary card
Fight
Result
Marlon Vera vs Charles Jourdain
Vera wins by TKO — Round 3, 2:02
Tai Tuivasa vs Robelis Despaigne
Despaigne wins by split decision — 29-28, 28-29, 29-28
Michael Aswell Jr. vs JooSang Yoo
Aswell wins by split decision — 28-29, 29-28, 29-28
Ryan Gandra vs Ozzy Diaz
Gandra wins by KO/TKO — Round 1, 2:04
Early prelims
Fight
Result
Edmen Shahbazyan vs Brunno Ferreira
Shahbazyan wins by unanimous decision — 29-28, 29-28, 30-27
Casey O'Neill vs Eduarda Moura
O'Neill wins by submission, armbar — Round 1, 3:22
Giga Chikadze vs Joanderson Brito
Brito wins by KO/TKO — Round 1, 1:57
The UFC's official event page and scorecards confirm the results across the entire card.
Joshua Van Settles Unfinished Business with Alexandre Pantoja
The circumstances surrounding Van's first victory over Pantoja made Saturday's rematch especially important.
Van originally captured the flyweight championship at UFC 323, but the fight ended just 26 seconds into the opening round after Pantoja suffered an elbow injury following an awkward sequence.
That meant Van technically became champion without getting the opportunity to establish superiority over the former titleholder through a conventional finish or decision.
Van subsequently defended the belt against Tatsuro Taira, stopping him in the fifth round at UFC 328.
Still, a second meeting with Pantoja offered an opportunity to remove any doubt surrounding their rivalry.
This time, they went all 25 minutes.
Pantoja began aggressively and had early success by forcing grappling exchanges and applying pressure.
Van gradually found his rhythm.
The champion used his boxing more effectively as the contest developed, working combinations while attempting to prevent Pantoja from controlling long stretches of the fight on the ground.
Pantoja remained dangerous and managed to put Van on the canvas during the fourth round, but he was unable to turn that position into a fight-ending sequence.
That left the championship still very much in play entering Round 5.
Van then produced his strongest closing stretch.
He increased his striking output, pressed forward and hurt Pantoja late, including a knockdown during the final round.
All three judges ultimately awarded the fight to Van.
The official scores were 49-46, 48-47 and 50-45.
Van Records Second Successful Title Defence
The victory represents Van's second consecutive successful defence of the UFC flyweight championship.
It also carries greater significance than simply adding another win to his record.
Van is only 24 and has now defeated the man who controlled the flyweight division through four successful title defences before their first meeting.
Pantoja had previously defended the championship against Brandon Royval, Steve Erceg, Kai Asakura and Kai Kara-France.
Saturday's rematch therefore gave Van a much clearer victory over one of the division's most accomplished recent champions.
The UFC selected Van vs Pantoja 2 as Fight of the Night.
Arman Tsarukyan Destroys Mauricio Ruffy with Late First-Round Elbows
The co-main event had major implications for the UFC lightweight division.
Arman Tsarukyan entered as one of the highest-ranked contenders at 155 pounds, while Mauricio Ruffy had been building momentum with a series of impressive performances.
Ruffy landed a strong right hand early, prompting Tsarukyan to use his wrestling and clinch game.
Ruffy initially defended the takedown attempts well.
But with the first round almost complete, Tsarukyan created the decisive opening against the fence.
From the clinch, he landed a pair of powerful elbows.
The second strike ended the fight with only four seconds remaining in Round 1.
Official time: 4:56.
The victory extends Tsarukyan's winning run to six fights.
Before facing Ruffy, his streak included victories over former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira and Dan Hooker.
The UFC's post-fight coverage described Tsarukyan as having strengthened his position at the top of the lightweight contender list, although any championship booking still requires an official announcement.
His knockout also earned him a Performance of the Night bonus.
Sean Sharaf Shocks Gable Steveson in 12 Seconds
No result from UFC 331 was more unexpected than Sean Sharaf's victory over Gable Steveson.
Steveson entered the UFC carrying substantial expectations.
The American wrestler won an Olympic gold medal at the Tokyo Games and was a two-time NCAA wrestling champion before moving into mixed martial arts.
He was undefeated professionally heading into Saturday's fight.
That record lasted only 12 seconds.
After the fighters met in the centre of the Octagon, Sharaf connected with a clean left hand that dropped Steveson and brought the fight to an immediate end.
Official result: Sean Sharaf defeated Gable Steveson by knockout at 0:12 of Round 1.
The betting numbers underline just how unexpected the result was.
The UFC's official event page listed Steveson at -1600 and Sharaf at +900 before the fight. Betting lines vary by sportsbook and time, but those figures demonstrate the scale of Steveson's favourite status going into the matchup.
For Sharaf, it was his first UFC victory.
For Steveson, it was his first professional MMA defeat.
The UFC awarded Sharaf a separate “MobLand Bonus” connected to the event's promotional sponsorship. It was listed independently of the standard Performance of the Night awards.
Patricio Pitbull Stops Dooho Choi
Former Bellator champion Patricio Pitbull produced another major finish on the main card.
Pitbull and South Korea's Dooho Choi engaged primarily on the feet, with the Brazilian landing the more damaging shots as the first round progressed.
Pitbull eventually connected with a right hand that badly hurt Choi.
He followed up and secured the stoppage at 3:28 of Round 1.
The result moved Pitbull to 2-2 in his UFC run and represented his most emphatic Octagon victory to date.
Afterward, Pitbull indicated interest in fighting Jean Silva next, though no such matchup has been officially booked.
Alonzo Menifield Edges Iwo Baraniewski
UFC 331's opening main-card bout went to the judges.
One judge scored the contest 29-28 for Baraniewski, while the other two gave Menifield identical 29-28 scores.
UFC reporting said Menifield competed despite suffering a serious injury to his left thumb during the fight.
The result gave the veteran consecutive victories over developing light-heavyweight prospects and ended Baraniewski's unbeaten professional run.
Marlon Vera Ends Losing Streak
The preliminary-card headliner brought an important result for Marlon “Chito” Vera.
The former bantamweight title challenger entered his fight against Charles Jourdain having lost four consecutive bouts.
Vera stopped that slide with a third-round TKO at 2:02.
It was an important performance for Vera, who remains one of the best-known fighters in the UFC's bantamweight division but had been searching for momentum following his recent run of defeats.
Robelis Despaigne Beats Tai Tuivasa
Heavyweights Robelis Despaigne and Tai Tuivasa went the full three rounds.
Despaigne earned a split-decision victory, with the judges returning cards of 29-28, 28-29 and 29-28.
Unlike several of the card's explosive heavyweight and light-heavyweight bouts, this contest required the scorecards to separate the two fighters.
The win adds another notable name to Despaigne's UFC résumé.
Michael Aswell Jr. Takes Close Decision
Michael Aswell Jr. also needed a split decision to defeat JooSang Yoo.
The judges scored the featherweight contest 28-29, 29-28 and 29-28 for Aswell.
The UFC described the result as the biggest victory of Aswell's young Octagon career.
Ryan Gandra Continues First-Round Finishing Streak
Ryan Gandra extended his strong run with another quick finish.
Gandra stopped Ozzy Diaz at 2:04 of Round 1, overwhelming him with strikes after a measured opening phase.
The victory continued Gandra's run of first-round finishes during 2026 and pushed his broader winning streak into double figures, according to UFC reporting.
Casey O’Neill Produces Spectacular Armbar
One of the most technically impressive finishes came on the early prelims.
Eduarda Moura initially put Casey O'Neill in difficulty on the ground and threatened with an anaconda choke.
O'Neill survived.
She then reversed the situation dramatically, using her legs during a scramble to elevate Moura and transition directly into an armbar.
Moura tapped at 3:22 of the opening round, according to the UFC's current event listing and independent post-fight reporting.
The submission earned O'Neill a Performance of the Night award.
She has now won three consecutive fights and recorded back-to-back finishes.
Joanderson Brito Knocks Out Giga Chikadze
Joanderson Brito also made a fast start to the night.
The Brazilian featherweight stopped Giga Chikadze at 1:57 of Round 1.
Brito forced the action, eventually getting Chikadze to the ground and finishing the fight with strikes.
The UFC officially recorded the result as a first-round KO/TKO.
Edmen Shahbazyan Wins Unanimous Decision
Edmen Shahbazyan opened his night with a decision victory over Brunno Ferreira.
All three judges sided with Shahbazyan, scoring the fight 29-28, 29-28 and 30-27.
Unlike many of the early-card fights, Shahbazyan and Ferreira went the entire 15-minute distance.
UFC 331 Bonuses
The UFC announced the following post-fight awards:
Fight of the Night: Joshua Van vs Alexandre Pantoja
Performance of the Night: Arman Tsarukyan
Performance of the Night: Casey O'Neill
Special MobLand Bonus: Sean Sharaf
Van and Pantoja were rewarded for their five-round championship contest, while Tsarukyan and O'Neill received recognition for their first-round finishes.
Sharaf's 12-second knockout of Steveson was recognized through the separate special promotional bonus.
UFC 331 Attendance and Gate
UFC 331 was also a significant commercial event for the promotion.
According to the UFC, Crypto.com Arena was sold out with an attendance of 19,357.
The promotion reported gross revenue of $8,228,105 and described the show as the highest-grossing event in Crypto.com Arena history.
Because that venue-record claim comes from the UFC's own post-event announcement, it is best reported with attribution to the promotion rather than as an independently audited venue statistic.
What UFC 331 Means for the Title Pictures
Three results could have particularly significant consequences.
The first is Joshua Van's.
His second victory over Pantoja — this time through a completed five-round fight — strengthens his position as the undisputed UFC flyweight champion and removes much of the uncertainty created by their injury-shortened first encounter.
The second comes from Arman Tsarukyan.
Knocking out Mauricio Ruffy in the first round gives Tsarukyan another major result at the top of the lightweight division.
He will undoubtedly be part of discussions around future championship matchmaking, although the UFC has not yet formally confirmed his next fight.
The third is Sean Sharaf's upset.
Steveson had been viewed as one of the most intriguing heavyweight prospects because of his elite wrestling background and Olympic credentials.
One punch radically altered that trajectory.
The defeat does not determine what Steveson can eventually become in MMA, but it demonstrates the difficulty of translating even extraordinary ability in one combat sport into immediate success against experienced professional mixed martial artists.
For Sharaf, the victory creates the opposite opportunity.
A fighter who entered the contest as an enormous underdog is now responsible for one of the most memorable results of UFC 331.
UFC Results Tonight: The Biggest Takeaways
For readers searching “UFC tonight,” “UFC results today” or “UFC 331 results,” the event itself is now complete.
The major results are clear:
Joshua Van retained the UFC flyweight championship by unanimous decision over Alexandre Pantoja.
Arman Tsarukyan knocked out Mauricio Ruffy at 4:56 of Round 1.
Sean Sharaf knocked out Gable Steveson in only 12 seconds.
Patricio Pitbull stopped Dooho Choi in the first round.
Alonzo Menifield defeated Iwo Baraniewski by split decision.
Marlon Vera returned to winning form with a third-round stoppage of Charles Jourdain.
Casey O'Neill earned one of the night's standout submissions with a first-round armbar.
UFC 331 began as a card built around Van and Pantoja finally getting the chance to settle their championship rivalry under normal circumstances.
By the time the night ended, the event had delivered much more: an established champion strengthening his claim to the belt, a lightweight contender making another major statement, a former Bellator champion producing a first-round finish and one of the year's most unexpected heavyweight results.
The UFC now moves forward with several divisions facing important matchmaking decisions — and with Joshua Van still holding the flyweight championship.
Bottom Line
UFC 331 produced a night of high drama in Los Angeles. Joshua Van retained the flyweight title by unanimous decision over Alexandre Pantoja, Arman Tsarukyan scored a late first-round knockout of Mauricio Ruffy, and Sean Sharaf stunned Olympic champion Gable Steveson in just 12 seconds.
Patricio Pitbull, Marlon Vera and Casey O’Neill also delivered notable finishes. The event strengthened Van’s claim as champion, elevated Tsarukyan’s lightweight credentials and delivered one of the year’s most unexpected heavyweight results.
Key Takeaway
Joshua Van retains flyweight title over Pantoja.
Arman Tsarukyan knocks out Mauricio Ruffy in Round 1.
Sean Sharaf shocks Gable Steveson in 12 seconds.
Multiple first-round finishes highlight a dramatic UFC 331 card.
The Rajatheertha Team publishes news, explainers, guides and updates across India and the world. Our coverage follows Rajatheertha's editorial, verification and corrections standards.
Japanese triathlete Takumi Hojo delivered the first gold medal of the 2026 Asian Games, winning the men’s individual triathlon in Gamagori a day after Emperor Naruhito formally opened the Aichi-Nagoya Games.
India successfully defended its Asian Games men’s hockey and cricket titles, beating Malaysia 5-1 and Pakistan by 19 runs, while the Dodgers and White Sox opened their MLB Division Series with Game 1 victories.
India finished fourth at the 2026 Asian Games with 85 medals, including 21 golds, while NFL Week 4 Sunday produced major results led by the Rams' 24-20 comeback win over the Eagles.
Mirabai Chanu won her first Asian Games medal with silver in the women’s 49kg weightlifting event at Aichi-Nagoya 2026. India ended September 23 with 12 medals — one gold, five silver and six bronze.
Elena Rybakina defeated Aryna Sabalenka to become the new women’s world No. 1, while India beat Sri Lanka by 72 runs in the Women’s Asia Cup final, defeated Afghanistan in the first T20I and completed a men’s-and-women’s Junior Asia Cup hockey double.
Ben Shelton stunned defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in a historic 3:33 a.m. US Open finish, while Coco Gauff and new world No. 1 Elena Rybakina reached the semifinals.
0 Comments