UFC 331 went down last night (Saturday, September 19, 2026) at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California. In the title Joshua Van defeating the defending UFC flyweight title Alexandre Pantoja by unanimous decision in what was a back-and-forth affair (full scorecards here). Evening at the joint main event Arman Tsarukyan finished Mauricio Ruffy’s night with a devastating knockout in the first round (see it here). In further action Old Sharaf upset Gable Steveson knocking him out of the fight 12 seconds in (highlights).
Who should he face next: Manel Kape
Now that Van has a second consecutive title defense, as well as Pantoja in the rearview mirror, he can expect another tough matchup in the form of Kape. “Star boy” is now ranked #2 in the division and is on a four-game winning streak. He is without a doubt the most deserving of a title shot and will give Van a big challenge when they lock horns. Kape wins by knockout Kyoji Horiguchi (see it here). Van has proven to be a great and worthy champion and can be on the way to superstardom if he can continue to perform like last night.
Who he should face next: Justin Gaethje’s title fight
Tsarukyan shouldn’t be denied Gaethje’s lightweight title for the first time last night, even if Ilia Topuria kicks off a rematch campaign. Tsarukyan has worked hard to climb back into title contention (and getting out of Dana White’s doghouse) must now simply be disabled. He has now won six straight fights and could very well overtake the number one spot next week. It’s been a long time coming for “Batman,” and his fight against Gaethje should produce fireworks.
Who should he face next: Arnold Allen
Pitbull scored an impressive knockout victory over the very durable Doo Ho Choi in the first round, taking him to an even 2-2 record under the UFC banner so far. He promised he would do better and he did just that. Now it remains to be seen if he can repeat this performance in his next outing. He called for a fight Jean Silvabut I just don’t see matchmakers booking it. Allen seems like a good option as soon as he’s ready and able to return to action. Allen was set on his face Aaron Pico before he had to bow out with an undisclosed injury.
Who should he face next: Shamil Gaziev
Freshly biggest upset of the nightSharaf earned some breathing room after losing his previous two fights. Although his win was huge, he can’t wait for a big fight next, but he could consider Gaziev. Gaziev comes down a knockout victory through Kennedy Nzechukwuwhich also snapped his dueling slip. Gaziev hasn’t been able to be too consistent, going just 4-2 inside the Octagon, so this is a nice matchup between two big men who are just trying to find some sort of rhythm.
Who he should face next: Robert Whittaker
Despite having a badly broken thumbMenifield was able to defeat very difficult Iwo Baraniewski in what was an all-out back-and-forth brawl. Menifield, winner of two in a row and four out of five overall, has really been coming into his own lately, so the fight against the former middleweight champion, Robert Whittakercould be fine. Whittaker won his light heavyweight debut earlier this year with defeat Nikita Krylovhis first win in two years. Whittaker is now ranked No. 12while Menifield (No. 14), could come closer to him next week. Because if Menifield can beat a former champion like Whittaker, his stock will only rise further.
Click for complete UFC 331 results, coverage and highlights HERE.
