The Crypto.com UFC 331 main card raised the stakes following a thrilling preliminary card in Los Angeles.
After opening with Alonzo Menifield bouncing Iwo Baraniewski from the ranks of the unbeaten, the next three bouts all ended in the opening round, with Sean Sharaf shocking the world by knocking out Gable Steveson before Patricio Pitbull sparked Dooho Choi and Arman Tsarukyan iced Mauricio Ruffy. In the main event, Joshua Van successfully defended the flyweight title in an absolute barnburner with Alexandre Pantoja.
How To Watch Crypto.com UFC 331 In Your Country
If you missed out on any of the action, get yourself caught up with our recaps below.
More Coverage: Prelim Results | Scorecards
Joshua Van and Alexandre Pantoja combined for an instant classic to close out Crypto.com UFC 331 in Los Angeles, with the 24-year-old champion successfully retaining the flyweight title with a gutsy, hard-fought decision win.
Pantoja came out of the gates on fire, taking the fight to the champion and having success in both phases, opening up by letting Van know he was in for a competitive night at the office. The young titleholder found his footing and offense in the second and third, doing well to limit the amount of time he was entangled with Pantoja while landing the better strikes and minimizing damage when he was taken down.
As the fight moved into the championship rounds, Pantoja was able to put Van on the canvas in the fourth but was limited in his output or ability to advance, sending the fight to the final frame seemingly deadlocked. In the fifth, Van was the more active and effective of the two, landing in combination and stalking the challenger, dropping him and pulling away as the round progressed.
When the scorecards were collected and tallied, it was Van that came out ahead, earning his second consecutive successful title defense and a measure of validation given how their first fight ended. The champion has proven himself to be one of the most consistently entertaining fighters on the planet, and now looks to continue moving forward, building his legacy.
Arman Tsarukyan cemented his standing as the No. 1 contender in the lightweight division with a first-round knockout win over Mauricio Ruffy.
The Armenian ate a clean right hand out of the gates that prompted him to shift into grappling mode, but Ruffy did exceptionally well to remain upright and defend the takedowns. Just before the end of the first, with the duo clinched along the fence, Tsarukyan unleashed a pair of quick, hard elbows that landed clean and put Ruffy all the way out.
If there was any question who should be next in line to challenge for the title, this answered those questions. Tsarukyan has won six straight, with four of his last five coming inside the distance, and showed once more than he’s an absolutely elite threat at the top of the 155-pound weight class.
Patricio Pitbull turned in his best performance yet in the UFC, starching “The Korean Superboy” Dooho Choi on Saturday night in Los Angeles.
The veteran featherweights did exactly what everyone hoped for and anticipated, standing toe-to-toe and trading from the outset, with Pitbull getting the better of things from the outset. As the round progressed, the speed and power of the Brazilian veteran became too much, with a clean right hand freezing the South Korean momentarily before he crumbled to the canvas, where Pitbull pounded out the win.
This was the version of Pitbull that dominated under the Bellator umbrella for years and can still be a factor in the UFC featherweight division going forward. Now 2-2 inside the Octagon, the 38-year-old said he finally feels settled into life in the UFC and called for a fight with Jean Silva next time out.
Sean Sharaf flatlined Gable Steveson!
The Santa Ana native and U.S. Marine Corps veteran strode to the center of the Octagon ate a low kick and then connected with a left hand that snapped Steveson’s head back in a violent manner, ending the night in a flash.
This was a monumental upset for the 32-year-old Sharaf, who was a colossal underdog against the highly regarded, undefeated prospect. What an absolute shocker in Los Angeles.
Alonzo Menifield showed his veteran savvy and unquestionable toughness, battling through a compound fracture of his left thumb to outwork Polish prospect Iwo Baraniewski to kick off Crypto.com UFC 331.
The light heavyweights spent the first round throwing absolute bombs at one another, Baraniewski landing the bigger, more telling blows, though Menifield held his own and broke the Polish prospect’s nose. The pace slowed and as the two fatigued over the next two frames, with Menifield leaning on his experience to keep the pressure on Baraniewski, land key blows.
When the tens and nines were added up, it was Menifield that came out ahead, giving him consecutive victories over promising light heavyweight prospects. The 38-year-old remains a permanent fixture in the lower third of the Top 15 and a dangerous threat for anyone looking to advance at his expense.
Crypto.com UFC 331: Van vs Pantoja 2 took place live from Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California on September 19, 2026. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!
