Van's Next Opponent After UFC 331 Title Defense

Joshua Van has a clear path forward after defending his flyweight title against Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 331 in Los Angeles last weekend.

Van took a unanimous decision over Pantoja in a competitive back-and-forth bout at Crypto.com Arena on September 19. With the Brazilian now in his rearview mirror, the champion's next challenge should come from Manel Kape, according to MMA Mania's breakdown of the card. Kape sits at No. 2 in the division and brings a four-fight win streak that includes a knockout of Kyoji Horiguchi.

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Tsarukyan Eyes Gaethje Title Shot

Arman Tsarukyan strengthened his case for a lightweight title fight by stopping Mauricio Ruffy with a first-round knockout in the co-main event. The Georgian has now won six consecutive bouts and could leapfrog into the No. 1 contender spot. A matchup with champion Justin Gaethje appears to be the logical next step, though Ilia Topuria has reportedly begun campaigning for a rematch with Gaethje.

Elsewhere on the main card, Patricio Pitbull knocked out Doo Ho Choi in the first round to even his UFC record at 2-2. MMA Mania suggested Arnold Allen as a potential next opponent once the Brit returns from an undisclosed injury that forced him out of a scheduled bout with Aaron Pico.

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Sean Sharaf pulled off the night's biggest upset by knocking out Gable Steveson just 12 seconds into their heavyweight clash. Sharaf, who had dropped his previous two fights, could face Shamil Gaziev next in a matchup of big men looking to find consistency. Alonzo Menifield won his second straight at light heavyweight despite fighting with a badly broken thumb against Iwo Baraniewski, and could be matched with former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker, who made a successful 205-pound debut earlier this year.

Reported via:

• MMA Mania — Matches to make for ‘Van vs. Pantoja 2’ main card winners