Van's Next Title Defense Against Kape Expected

Joshua Van defended his flyweight title against Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 331 in Los Angeles on Saturday, and his next opponent appears to be taking shape.

Van won a clear decision over Pantoja in the main event, erasing questions about the legitimacy of his championship reign after their first fight ended in seconds due to Pantoja's arm injury. According to BJ Penn, Van proved himself as the true champion with a strong boxing performance that Pantoja struggled to solve. His wrestling defense held up when Pantoja secured takedowns, and the former champion failed to capitalize on top position.

What's Next For Van and Tsarukyan

Van is expected to face Manel Kape in early 2027, per BJ Penn. The matchup would pit two strikers against each other in what figures to be a high-paced title fight. Kape called out Van after the performance, telling media outlets he would make the champion look easy.

In the co-main event, Arman Tsarukyan stopped Mauricio Ruffy with a first-round elbow despite suffering eye damage early. The win cemented Tsarukyan as the top contender at lightweight. His next fight will be for the belt, but the opponent remains unclear. BJ Penn reports that if Justin Gaethje retires, a vacant title fight between Tsarukyan and Ilia Topuria makes the most sense. If Gaethje takes one more fight, that should be the matchup sometime in early 2027.

Pantoja drops back into the contender mix at age 36 after the loss. A fight against Asu Almabayev is the logical next step, with the winner potentially one fight away from another title shot. Ruffy will need extended recovery time after the knockout and should not return until late first quarter or early second quarter of 2027.

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• BJPenn — What’s next for the stars of UFC 331?