Joshua Van defended UFC flyweight title in Los Angeles — Channel NewsAsia
Joshua Van defeated Brazilian Alexandre Pantoja by unanimous decision and defended the UFC flyweight championship belt at UFC 331 in Los Angeles, United States. It was the second successful title defense for the 24-year-old fighter from Myanmar.
According to Channel NewsAsia, the bout lasted five rounds. In the final round, Van knocked Pantoja down with a right overhand before securing the victory on the judges’ scorecards.
Rematch after Pantoja’s injury
In the first round, Pantoja completed a takedown and later landed heavy punches and knees on his opponent. Van responded with an elbow strike. During the break, the champion’s team advised him to fight more tactically and avoid exchanging strikes.
In the second round, Van worked actively with his left jab, while in the third he rocked Pantoja with a combination of strikes. The Brazilian controlled the fourth round after a takedown but was unable to force his opponent to submit.
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It was the fighters’ second bout. Their first meeting in December ended after 26 seconds due to Pantoja’s accidental elbow dislocation, which made Van champion without a full victory over the Brazilian. Before that, Pantoja had held the belt for more than two years. After the fight, Van said many had called his previous win a fluke and invited critics to keep doubting him.
Tsarukyan’s knockout in the co-main event
In the co-main event of the evening, Armenian contender Arman Tsarukyan knocked out Mauricio Ruffy in the first round. Tsarukyan pinned his opponent against the cage, rocked him with a left elbow and, with four seconds left in the round, finished the fight with a right elbow strike.
Tsarukyan extended his winning streak to six fights and called for a bout with lightweight champion Justin Gaethje.
