Van answers the doubters, cements flyweight reign

UFC 331 in Los Angeles delivered one of the most chaotic cards of the year, headlined by Joshua Van's dominant five-round decision over Alexandre Pantoja to erase any doubt about his flyweight reign. The night's defining shock came earlier, as Marine veteran Sean Sharaf flatlined Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson in 12 seconds in the biggest betting upset in UFC history, while Arman Tsarukyan elbow-KO'd Mauricio Ruffy to stake his claim to a lightweight title shot. The promotion also confirmed UFC 334 at Madison Square Garden and, with it, that Ciryl Gane is undisputed heavyweight champion after all.

Joshua Van outpoints Pantoja over five rounds to bury the 'fluke' talk

Van retained the flyweight title with a unanimous decision (49-46, 49-47, 50-45) over Alexandre Pantoja in the UFC 331 main event, his second successful defense. After winning the belt when Pantoja broke his arm 26 seconds into their first fight, the 24-year-old answered every question by outboxing the former champ for 25 minutes and flooring him with a big right hand in the fifth. The bout earned Fight of the Night.

Why it matters: Van, still only 24, now looks like a long-term pound-for-pound force and the clear king at 125 pounds, while Pantoja's dominant era appears finished. Manel Kape is the likely next challenger.

Sean Sharaf flatlines Gable Steveson in 12 seconds — the biggest upset in UFC history

Marine Corps veteran Sean Sharaf knocked out Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson with a single left hook just 12 seconds into their heavyweight bout, the third-fastest KO in UFC heavyweight history. Steveson entered as high as a -2500 favorite, making Sharaf's win the biggest betting upset the promotion has seen. Steveson, cornered by Jon Jones, left the cage before the result was announced and drew criticism; Dana White matched Sharaf's $50,000 Proper Chaos bonus with another $50,000.

Why it matters: In 12 seconds the UFC's most-hyped heavyweight prospect was exposed and his aura destroyed — a reminder that elite wrestling credentials guarantee nothing in MMA. How the 26-year-old rebounds now defines his career.

Tsarukyan elbow-KOs Ruffy, leaves no doubt as the No. 1 lightweight

Arman Tsarukyan knocked out Mauricio Ruffy with back-to-back elbows at 4:56 of round one in the UFC 331 co-main event, his sixth straight win. Ruffy's improved takedown defense frustrated Tsarukyan early before he mixed a level change into a fight-ending elbow. Tsarukyan demanded a shot at champion Justin Gaethje and later accused Gaethje of being 'scared' and ducking him.

Why it matters: Tsarukyan has done everything possible to force the next title shot, but Gaethje has said he won't fight until 2027 and Ilia Topuria is also cleared and lurking — so the booking is far from settled.

UFC 334 set for MSG: Gane-Hokit and Harrison-Nunes — and Gane is undisputed after all

The UFC announced UFC 334 for Nov. 14 at Madison Square Garden with two title fights: Ciryl Gane defends the heavyweight belt against unbeaten Josh Hokit (10-0), and Kayla Harrison makes her first bantamweight defense against Amanda Nunes, who returns for the first time since 2023. The broadcast also confirmed Gane as undisputed champion following Tom Aspinall's vacating of the belt, reversing Dana White's claim a day earlier that Gane still had to fight for it, which commentators blamed on White's hearing. White made clear he dislikes the outspoken Hokit but won't punish a winning fighter.

Why it matters: The elevation flips yesterday's 'Gane must earn it' stance and hands a title shot to a controversial contender even the boss can't stand, while Nunes' return against Harrison is one of the most anticipated women's fights ever.

Patricio Pitbull scores his first UFC KO, saves his roster spot and calls out Jean Silva

Fighting on the final bout of his UFC deal, Patricio Pitbull dropped Doo Ho Choi with a right hand and finished him at 3:28 of round one for his first UFC knockout and 38th career win. The former Bellator double champ apologized for his lackluster three prior UFC outings, said the pressure in the UFC dwarfs Bellator, and called out featherweight Jean Silva.

Why it matters: The performance likely earns Pitbull a new contract and finally gives the Bellator legend a signature UFC moment; a Silva matchup would be a natural, high-heat featherweight booking.

Tai Tuivasa ties UFC record with 8th straight loss and looks headed for release

Tai Tuivasa dropped a split decision to the returning Robelis Despaigne on the UFC 331 prelims, in an ugly, cardio-drained heavyweight scrap. The defeat is Tuivasa's eighth in a row, tying Tony Ferguson for the longest losing streak in UFC history; he hasn't won since knocking out Derrick Lewis in February 2022. Dana White praised him but stopped short of committing to his future.

Why it matters: One of the promotion's most popular heavyweights is almost certainly out of chances in the UFC after a stunning fall from a five-fight win streak and title contention.

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