Monster Energy's Joshua Van Defeats Alexandre Pantoja to Retain UFC Flyweight Championship Title at UFC 331 in Los Angeles

• 24-Year-Old Van Earns Unanimous Decision Victory and $100,000 Bonus
• Marlon "Chito" Vera from Ecuador Achieves Third-Round TKO Victory Over Charles Jourdain for $25,000 Finish Bonus, Sets Record for Most Knockdowns in UFC Bantamweight History

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- And still the champ! Monster Energy congratulates MMA athlete Joshua Van on defeating Alexandre Pantoja and retaining the UFC Flyweight Championship title at UFC 331 in Los Angeles on Saturday night. In the highly anticipated main event fight, the 24-year-old Myanmar-born fighter asserted his dominance to earn the victory by unanimous decision. The relentless five-round battle also earned both fighters the $100,000 Fight of the Night bonus.

In the night's featured Prelims fight, 33-year-old Marlon Vera from Chone, Ecuador, snapped a four-fight losing streak with a third-round TKO victory over Charles Jourdain. The stoppage also earned "Chito" Vera a $25,000 Finish Bonus.

UFC 331: Van vs. Pantoja 2 was contested in front of a live crowd of 19,357 spectators inside Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. Featuring a total of five bouts on the Main Card and seven prelims, UFC 331 was broadcast live on Paramount+.

In Saturday night's title fight, Monster Energy's Van (18-2) stepped into the Octagon as the reigning UFC Flyweight Champion after most recently defending the belt against Tatsuro Taira at UFC 328 in May 2026. Van originally took the title at UFC 323 in December 2025 after Pantoja suffered a freak arm injury early in the fight, with Pantoja's camp immediately pushing for a return bout.

In the highly anticipated rematch, former champion Pantoja (30-7) of Brazil came to Los Angeles hoping to reclaim the title he commanded for more than two years before ceding to Van. Time to settle the score once and for all!

The championship bout opened with intense energy as both fighters collided in the middle of the Octagon. Pantoja secured a takedown in the opening seconds of the fight, testing Van's grappling defenses and applying pressure from the top. But once the fight returned to standing, the reigning champ found his rhythm to unload punches and combinations on Pantoja for significant damage.

On the strength of his superior striking, Van gained the upper hand in the second round and bloodied the former champ, opening several cuts on the Brazilian's face. As Pantoja refused to back down in the high-pressure fight, Van shut down numerous takedown attempts and kept pummeling the Brazilian with superior striking volume.

Round 4 marked a final stand for Pantoja, who held down Van for most of the round while frantically looking to secure a submission. But the champ stood his ground. The fifth and final round had the Los Angeles crowd on its feet as Van put on a striking masterclass to dominate the ex-champion.

With Pantoja swinging wildly in the final minutes, Van found openings for precise combinations and heavy counterstrikes that left the Brazilian bloodied and wobbly. In the fight's key scene and only knockdown, Van brought Pantoja to the canvas with a swift one-two combination to the jaw. The champion immediately pursued to get the submission, but Pantoja held on until the final bell.

When the judges went to their scorecards, defending champion Van prevailed by shutting down his opponent's grappling and landing 259 significant strikes in a relentless battle between unyielding opponents. As the winner by unanimous decision (50-45, 49-46, 49-47), Van secured his second title defense as the UFC's first Myanmar-born champion and silenced the critics once and for all.

"A lot of people said that was an accidental win the first time. Doubt me now," said Monster Energy's Van after retaining his title at UFC 331, adding: "Shout out to Pantoja, nothing but respect from me!"

The headline bout also earned the $100,000 Fight of the Night bonus, marking the second consecutive bonus for Van after claiming the same honors for his battle against Taira at UFC 328. Still the champ!

Earlier in the night, the featured Prelims fight saw 33-year-old bantamweight Vera (24-12-1) come to Los Angeles looking to end a four-fight losing streak. The Ecuadorian most recently lost to David Martinez by decision at a UFC Fight Night in February 2026 and needed his first win in three years to retain his spot amid the top 15 contenders of the bantamweight division.

Vera's opponent, Canadian MMA athlete Jourdain (18-9-1), previously defeated Kyler Phillips at a UFC Fight Night in April 2026, earning a Fight of the Night bonus. Jourdain wanted to continue his three-fight victory streak and earn his place in top rankings by defeating UFC icon Vera. But not so fast!

In the opening moments of the fight, Jourdain matched Vera's pace and stood his ground against the UFC icon. But soon enough, Vera found his groove to land significant strikes and visibly batter the Canadian. In the second round, Vera knocked his challenger to the canvas twice and kept landing harsh shots to Jourdain's head and body.

The final round was all Vera. After dealing more damage to Jourdain, Vera sent him to the canvas once again, setting a new record for most knockdowns in Ultimate Fighting Championship bantamweight history. As Vera kept pursuing, Jourdain shelled up on the ground and surrendered the fight. The third-round TKO victory puts Vera back into the victory column and earned "Chito" a $25,000 Finish Bonus.

"I have never made excuses in my life. I have never blamed a person or anything. My faith, my strength, my heart, my immigrant mentality, which is the most important thing that I have. For my family, for my kids, I'm in here for another run!" said Monster Energy's Vera after his victory at UFC 331.

Speaking on his recent journey, Vera said: "I have been training hard. I haven't changed that. Sometimes things don't go your way. But if you dig deep, you put the shadows and the demons aside, the voices in your head, everything is possible in life. And I'm just happy that I'm able to show this by example." Stay tuned for more from Vera!

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Monster Energy's elite UFC athletes include Alex Pereira, Belal Muhammad, Dricus Du Plessis, Merab Dvalishvili, Valentina Shevchenko, Weili Zhang, Marlon Vera, Justin Gaethje, Brandon Moreno, Johnny Walker, Sean Strickland, Dan Ige, Diego Lopes, Daniel Zellhuber, Derrick Lewis, Alexa Grasso, Raul Rosas Jr., Tatsuro Taira, Shara Magomedov, Maycee Barber, Aaron Pico, Jasmine Jasudavicius, Kayla Harrison, Malcolm Wellmaker, Mansur Abdul-Malik, Manuel Torres, Joshua Van, Reinier de Ridder, Alessandro Costa, Esteban Ribovics, Youssef Zalal, Jiri Prochazka, Manel Kape, Payton Talbott, Jalin Turner, Mackenzie Dern, Mikey Musumeci, and Tommy McMillen.

For more on Monster Energy's MMA athletes, visit www.monsterenergy.com. Follow Monster Energy on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, X, and TikTok. For interview or photo requests, contact Kim Dresser.

About Monster Energy
Based in Corona, California, Monster Energy is the leading marketer of energy drinks and alternative beverages. Refusing to acknowledge the traditional, Monster Energy supports the scene and sport. Whether motocross, off-road, NASCAR, MMA, BMX, surf, snowboard, ski, skateboard, or the rock-and-roll lifestyle, Monster Energy is a brand that believes in authenticity and the core of what its athletes and musicians represent. More than a drink, it's the way of life lived by athletes, bands, believers, and fans. See more about Monster Energy, including all of its drinks, at www.monsterenergy.com.

CONTACT: Kim Dresser C: (949) 300-5546 E: [email protected]

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