Burmese-American Joshua Van retains UFC flyweight title

Burmese-American Joshua Van retained his UFC flyweight title with a dominant unanimous-decision victory over Alexandre Pantoja in their rematch at UFC 331 on Saturday.

The 24-year-old Myanmar-born fighter avenged any doubts surrounding his previous victory over the Brazilian, producing a much more convincing performance to strengthen his position at the top of the division.

Van has previously defeated Pantoja in December 2025 but the former champion suffered an elbow dislocation accidently just 26 seconds in their highly anticipated bout.

The result was widely viewed as an unfortunate ending, but Van left little room for debate in their second meeting.

Van responded to doubts over his previous victory by delivering a convincing performance against Pantoja in their rematch.

"A lot of people said that was an accidental win, well, doubt me now," Van said after improving his professional record to 18 wins and two defeats.

The first round saw Pantoja take Van to the canvas before both fighters exchanged heavy punches and knees in a fierce contest. Van responded with a sharp elbow as the action intensified.

Van began to find his range in the second round, repeatedly landing left-handed jabs. He then produced a strong combination of punches in the third, rocking Pantoja and gaining momentum.

Pantoja responded in the fourth by controlling Van on the ground and securing another takedown, but the Brazilian was unable to find a submission.

Van finished strongly in the fifth round, stalking his opponent before dropping him with a powerful overhand right. He remained composed until the final bell before the judges awarded him the victory.