Brett OkamotoSep 17, 2026, 09:00 AM ETCloseBrett Okamoto has reported on mixed martial arts and boxing at ESPN since 2010. He has covered all of the biggest events in combat sports during that time, including in-depth interviews and features with names such as Dana White, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Conor McGregor, Nate Diaz, Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao and Georges St-Pierre. He was also a producer on the 30 for 30 film: “Chuck and Tito,” which looked back at the careers and rivalry of Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz. He lives in Las Vegas, and is an avid, below-average golfer in his spare time.Multiple AuthorsOpen Extended ReactionsFor two and a half years, Alexandre Pantoja ruled the UFC’s flyweight division at a level unseen since the historic era of Demetrious Johnson nearly 10 years ago.
And yet, the past nine months since his last fight could prove to be the most compelling of Pantoja’s career.The 36-year-old Pantoja (30-6) will challenge Joshua Van (17-2) for the 125-pound championship at UFC 331 inside Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Saturday. It will be his first appearance since UFC 323 in December, when he lost the belt to Van via TKO after Pantoja suffered a dislocated elbow 26 seconds into the fight. The nature of the loss has led to a feeling of unfinished business between the two fighters going into Saturday’s main event.”As an athlete, yes, I have a TKO loss on my record,” Pantoja told ESPN. “I’ve never lost by TKO or submission before.
Nobody had ever finished me. Now, I have that. But personally, as a man? No.
I don’t believe I have a loss to him.”Pantoja won the title against Brandon Moreno in 2023 and defended the belt four times before meeting Van. He was among the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world at the time. But with a comeback narrative attached to him for this fight, he said there is an added level of excitement.”For sure, this is an opportunity,” Pantoja said. “In my soul, that’s the opportunity.
Now, I get to fight the champion. He’s the champion of the world and I love that. It makes the fight more spicy for me.”Van, 24, has embraced the narrative — even while cementing himself as the undisputed champion. There are those who say Van needs to defeat Pantoja again to legitimize his championship, but Van’s first title defense against Tatsuro Taira in May made discrediting him harder.
Taira’s ground game posed a real threat to Van, but he ultimately knocked out the Japanese challenger in the fifth round of a matchup that earned fight of the night honors at UFC 328.The unfinished business, Pantoja’s return and Van’s undeniable star power mean Saturday’s flyweight title fight is shaping up to be the most anticipated 125-pound title fight since Henry Cejudo ended Johnson’s nearly five-year title reign in 2018 then defended the flyweight belt against then-bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw in 2019.For Pantoja specifically, his worst stroke of bad luck could turn into the greatest night of his career.”Saturday night is going to be my best night, man,” Pantoja said. “I haven’t been to work in 10 months. That’s why all of these fights, and this one especially, is worth so much. We work for months to just get one night of work.
I’ve recovered my arm. Now I have an opportunity to show everyone what I did in the last 10 months.”More storylines to watchHistory isn’t in Pantoja’s favorIf Alexandre Pantoja is searching for role models to inspire this weekend’s quest to reclaim the championship he lost suddenly and painfully last December, he would be wise to look beyond recent history.Within the past two weeks, two of the UFC’s 11 champs — women’s flyweight Valentina Shevchenko and heavyweight Tom Aspinall — vacated their titles because of health issues. Their paths back to the top of the mountain are as yet uncharted.Before them, the most recent champions to lose their titles to injuries did not fare well upon their returns. In November 2022, Jiří Procházka vacated the UFC light heavyweight title after hurting his shoulder in training.
His successor was Jamahal Hill, who just months after winning the vacant title had to vacate it himself after rupturing an Achilles. As soon as he was healed, Hill was granted an opportunity to reclaim his title and lost. Procházka was given three shots at the 205-pound belt and fell short in all of them.For a success story, Pantoja must look deeper into UFC championship history to the brutal health issues overcome by Dominick Cruz. While preparing for a bantamweight title defense in May 2012, Cruz tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.
He underwent surgery, then had a setback requiring a second ACL surgery six months later. He was scheduled to return in February 2014 but suffered a groin tear in training. Facing another extended recovery, he vacated his title.Cruz returned that September and won a fight that put him in position for a shot at his old belt. Three months later, he tore his other ACL.Finally, in February 2016 — more than four years after his last title fight — Cruz challenged TJ Dillashaw for the belt and won a split decision.
“I had to show something to myself,” Cruz said afterward. “That’s what this was.”Tsarukyan’s chance to set things right againArman Tsarukyan was labeled a snubbed man after it was announced that Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett would headline the first UFC card of 2026 with the No. 1 lightweight contender status at stake. It’s hard to remember that sentiment now, considering the year Tsarukyan has had.In the absence of an obvious UFC fight to take, Tsarukyan has wrestled competitively — mostly in RAF — 10 times in 2026. He raised his social media presence exponentially behind videos of lavish cars, extraordinary meals and collaborations with content creator Nina Drama.
This is the longest layoff of his UFC career, but his brand has grown more during that time off than from any single fight.He appears in a good position to get back to work and finally earn the title shot many have said he should have already had. But it won’t be an easy fight. Tsarukyan’s opponent, Mauricio Ruffy, is a dangerous underdog (+260, according to DraftKings). This fight will restore the order the top of the 155-pound division has lacked in Tsarukyan’s absence, regardless of who wins.Another step for Steveson?Any MMA prospect would almost certainly switch places with 26-year-old UFC newcomer Gable Steveson.
When you’re an Olympic gold medal wrestler, and one of the most touted heavyweight prospects in MMA history, certain opportunities are going to come to you that others aren’t afforded. It also means Steveson’s window for error is small, as he’s asked to learn and develop under the sport’s brightest lights.The UFC is managing his opposition. For his second UFC appearance (and fifth pro fight overall), he’ll take on Sean Sharaf, a 33-year-old with two knockout losses in his first two UFC fights. Steveson will once again be a heavy, heavy favorite (-1800 by DraftKings), as he was for his promotional debut in July.
The heavyweight division is wide open now that Tom Aspinall has vacated his title and the list of top contenders is thin, so Steveson’s performance probably means more than the result. If he continues to look the part, his career trajectory could be accelerated at a rate few see.Coaches’ questions and predictions”Can Pantoja bank enough rounds on the ground, while staying responsible on the feet?”What a fight this will be. Van shows up in big moments; he’s just a proven gamer. If Pantoja stands with Van, he’s going to get hurt.
Pantoja is good at applying pressure and landing the 1-2 punch (lead left jab, right cross), but he cannot play that game with Van, because of Van’s counterboxing. Van’s hands are too fast. Van can land four-to-six shots at a time in close distance, and that’s something Pantoja really has to watch for. Van is going to have confidence in his ability to get off the ground from his last fight against Taira.
I’m going to stay on
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