Joshua Van stomped his authority all over the flyweight division at UFC 331, grabbing a unanimous decision win against Alexandre Pantoja. After their first fight ended with an injury win, Van needed to show everyone he was the real deal. He absolutely did, cementing himself as the undisputed champion. That rivalry? It’s done. Time for these guys to move on.
Van’s Next Target Is Staring Him Down
Okay, so Van proved he’s the champ. Who’s next for the man? There’s literally only one choice: Manel Kape. These two have been going back and forth, slinging accusations about who’s “ducking” who. With Pantoja out of the picture, it’s go time. Kape is the logical challenger. The dude is on a four-fight win streak, and get this: *all four* were finishes, including straight up knockout wins over Kyoji Horiguchi and Brandon Royval. He’s the number two contender. Van already handled Tatsuro Taira in his first title defense, and Kape put away Royval. The division *needs* Van vs. Kape. No other fight makes sense.
Pantoja’s Road Back Starts Now
For Alexandre Pantoja, it was a rough night. His run into his 30s in a division full of young guns has been nothing short of amazing. Still, the man is 36, and he’s now dropped back-to-back fights. He cannot afford to slowly climb the ladder. He needs a comeback performance, and he needs it fast. Brandon Royval makes perfect sense. Pantoja beat him in a title defense already, and Royval is fresh off a submission win over Lone’er Kavanagh, probably itching for a shot at revenge. Pairing Pantoja with guys like Tatsuro Taira or Kyoji Horiguchi would follow similar logic. Taira lost to Van, and Horiguchi just lost to Kape. Let’s get these veterans in there and see who can claw their way back into the title conversation.
Gable Steveson’s Stumble: A Reality Check
Now, about Gable Steveson. Yikes. While Van was celebrating, Steveson got absolutely flattened on the main card, a stunning upset knockout. Look, the UFC isn’t going to ditch him yet; his wrestling background and raw athleticism are still a solid base. But his striking defense and his chin? Those are some serious red flags that could totally block his path to potential. Getting knocked out by a relatively unknown fighter? That’s worst-case stuff, plain and simple. The UFC needs to be super careful with him now. Matchmaking has to focus on inexperienced fighters who won’t be a huge knockout threat while Steveson tries to rebuild. We’re talking Denzel Freeman, who got finished by Josh Hokit in the first round. Or Terrance Chatman, who has some power, but also got finished by first-round submission recently. Guilherme Pat is another name in that mix. They’ve all had at least one UFC fight, but none have been around long. It’s about damage control and getting Steveson a win.
So, the flyweight division is buzzing! Van looks unstoppable, but Kape is a monster. Pantoja needs to prove he’s still got it, and Steveson is on a serious redemption arc. The next few months are gonna be wild. Keep an eye out for those fight announcements, because the stakes are high for everyone involved.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
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