{
  "id": 8612019,
  "title": "Van silences doubters in Pantoja rematch as Tsarukyan, Pitbull score dramatic UFC 331 finishes",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/20/van-silences-doubters-in-pantoja-rematch-as-tsarukyan-pitbull-score",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-20T04:20:11.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Winnipeg Free Press",
    "slug": "winnipeg-free-press",
    "url": "https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/uncategorized/2026/09/19/van-silences-doubters-in-pantoja-rematch-as-tsarukyan-pitbull-score-dramatic-ufc-331-finishes"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "UFC flyweight champion Joshua Van silenced his doubters following his rematch with former champion Alexandre Pantoja. The fight took place in Los Angeles on Saturday and went the full five rounds. Van emphasized that this victory proved his legitimacy in the UFC flyweight division. Van praised Pantoja's resilience and championship-level skills, especially after Pantoja escaped a submission attempt that Van believed would end the bout. Van's performance solidified the credibility of his championship reign, while Pantoja's toughness added significance to the fight. Meanwhile, in the co-main event, No. 2-ranked lightweight Arman Tsarukyan delivered a dramatic first-round knockout of No. 7 Mauricio Ruffy. Ruffy had successfully defended Tsarukyan's takedown attempts, but the Armenian changed levels late in the round and landed a series of powerful elbows that left Ruffy unconscious at 4:56 of the first round. Tsarukyan's victory extended his winning streak to six. In another noteworthy fight, featherweight Patricio Pitbull, coming off his second consecutive first-round finish, knocked out Dooho Choi with a powerful right hand in just 3:28 of the first round. Pitbull dubbed his performance his \"real debut\" in the UFC and challenged Jean Silva. In the heavyweight division, Sean Sharaf made a shocking statement by knocking out Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson just 12 seconds into their bout. Sharaf connected with a clean 1-2 combination, with the left hook turning Steveson's head and leaving him unconscious on the canvas. The fight was stopped immediately by referee Frank Trigg, giving Sharaf his first UFC victory and the third-fastest knockout in UFC heavyweight history. Sharaf expressed surprise at his own performance and credited his belief in himself despite initial doubts. In a surprising turn of events, light heavyweight Alonzo Menifield overcame a gruesome hand injury and a difficult opening round to defeat Iwo Baraniewski by split decision. Menifield revealed during his post-fight interview that he had broken his thumb in the first round and displayed what appeared to be bone protruding through the skin.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Yahoo Sports",
        "title": "UFC 331 live blog: Joshua Van vs. Alexandre Pantoja 2",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/20/ufc-331-live-blog-joshua-van-vs-alexandre-pantoja-2",
        "published": "2026-09-20T03:33:25.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}