UFC 331 live blog: Joshua Van vs. Alexandre Pantoja 2

UFC 331 saw Joshua Van and Alexandre Pantoja face off in the flyweight championship main event at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. The bout followed Van's unexpected title win at UFC 323 when Pantoja suffered an arm injury just 26 seconds in. Van, now 24, became the second-youngest champion in UFC history after defeating Pantoja.

Prior to the match, Pantoja (30-6) had a dominant run, winning four straight titles against top contenders like Kai Kara-France, Kai Asakura, Steve Erceg, and Brandon Royval. He currently ranks within the top 5 of MMA Fighting's Pound-for-Pound Rankings.

Round 1 began with no glove touches as Pantoja landed big punches and took Van down with a body lock shortly after the start. Despite Van not being immediately in danger, Pantoja continued to apply pressure, setting up a potential back take. However, Van quickly reversed the situation, moving to Pantoja's guard with just half a round remaining. The champion seized the opportunity to move ahead on the scorecards.

Round 2 started with Pantoja in Van's face, working to secure a Thai plum hold. A potential headbutt led to a clash, and the doctor examined Pantoja's cut. Despite the controversy, Van managed to end the round by getting back up, earning a 10-9 decision from MMA Fighting.