Monster Energy's Van Retains UFC Flyweight Title in unanimous Decision
News related to:Monster Energy · 2 min read
Monster Energy's Joshua Van retained the UFC Flyweight Championship title with a unanimous decision victory over Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 331 in Los Angeles on September 20, 2026. The 24-year-old Van, who is 18-2, earned the $100,000 Fight of the Night bonus for his relentless performance against the former champion, Pantoja, who is 30-7. The bout, which took place in front of a live crowd of 19,357 spectators inside Crypto.com Arena, saw Van land 259 significant strikes and secure a unanimous decision with scores of 50-45, 49-46, and 49-47.
Van, who originally took the title at UFC 323 in December 2025 after Pantoja suffered a freak arm injury early in the fight, had previously defended the belt against Tatsuro Taira at UFC 328 in May 2026. Pantoja, who had held the title for more than two years before losing it to Van, came to Los Angeles hoping to reclaim the championship. However, Van's superior striking and grappling defense proved too much for the Brazilian, who refused to back down in the high-pressure fight.
In the night's featured Prelims fight, 33-year-old Marlon "Chito" Vera from Chone, Ecuador, snapped a four-fight losing streak with a third-round TKO victory over Charles Jourdain. Vera, who is 24-12-1, earned the $25,000 Finish Bonus for his third-round knockout. The Ecuadorian, who has been training hard and hasn't changed his approach, said, "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!"
Vera's opponent, Canadian MMA athlete Jourdain, who is 18-9-1, was looking to continue his three-fight victory streak and earn his place in the top rankings. However, Vera's relentless striking and takedown defense set a new record for most knockdowns in Ultimate Fighting Championship bantamweight history. Jourdain was knocked down twice in the second round and again in the final round, leading to his submission. Vera's victory marks the second consecutive bonus for Van, who also won the Fight of the Night bonus for his battle against Taira at UFC 328.
Doe, the chief executive of Monster Energy, said, "We are thrilled with the result. Joshua Van's performance was outstanding, and we are proud to support him in his journey. A lot of people said that was an accidental win the first time.