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UFC 331 wrap: Van silences the asterisk, Tsarukyan elbows his way to the front of the line, and a 12-second earthquake swallows Steveson

The rematch produced a Fight of the Night classic and a champion’s dare. The co-main produced an unconscious Ruffy with four seconds left in the round. And the biggest favourite on the card lasted twelve seconds.

By Andrew Weissmann · Mixed Martial Arts

Published: Monday, 21 September 2026 at 12:17 AM

Key Things to Know

Joshua Van defeated Alexandre Pantoja via unanimous decision to retain his flyweight title at UFC 331.
The flyweight championship rematch earned Fight of the Night honors at Crypto.com Arena.
Arman Tsarukyan knocked out Mauricio Ruffy with elbows at 4:56 of the first round in the co-main event.

The Story in 60 Seconds

Joshua Van successfully defended his flyweight title at UFC 331 at Crypto.com Arena, defeating Alexandre Pantoja via unanimous decision. Van won the rematch with judges' scores of 49-46, 48-47, and 50-45 in a bout that earned Fight of the Night honors. The victory improves Van's octagon record to 11-1 with two title defenses.

In the co-main event, Arman Tsarukyan defeated Mauricio Ruffy via first-round knockout. Despite being hurt early by Ruffy, Tsarukyan secured the victory with two decisive elbows, rendering Ruffy unconscious at 4:56 of the opening round. Tsarukyan celebrated his win by leaping over the octagon fence.

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