Joshua Van go the better of a hard-fought five-round battle with Alexandre Pantoja tonight at UFC 331 to retain his flyweight title.

Round One

The flyweight title rematch is underway in Los Angeles!

Nice right hand from Pantoja to start and then goes straight into a takedown attempt and lands it.

Van starts to gradually move and gets his back to the cage. Pantoja pulls him away from there though to flatten him out and secure full mount.

Pantoja very patient on top here. However as soon as he does try to posture up to land a few punches, Van explodes back to his feet and as Pantoja tries to hop onto him Van takes him down.

Pantoja able to work back to his feet now and immediately gets to work with a big flurry of strikes, and now Van is responding in kind, with fists flying everywhere as they throw caution to the wind and brawl.

Good pressure from Pantoja, but now Van lands a nice punch. Van warming up to the fight here and starts to pursue Pantoja. Big elbow from Van has Pantoja feeling at his face for a moment.

Pantoja able to get into range and land another takedown late in the round.

Round Two

Pantoja with big pressure to start the second round, landing punches along with knees to the body. Van working to the body. Pantoja complains about a headbutt and gets a time-out to recover. Pantoja has a cut around the eyebrow on the left side. It looks like an accidental headbutt in the replay.

Now the fight gets going again and Pantoja immediately fires off a couple of punches followed up by a high kick attempt.

Now Pantoja goes in for a takedown against the cage, but Van is fighting it off for now. Good defensive work from him and that forces the fight back to striking range.

Van with a low kick and a flurry of punches off the guard. Jab for Van. Pantoja with a jab. Solid low kick from Pantoja.

Left hand and a kick for Pantoja. Jab from Van and a low kick. Jab for Pantoja. Front kick to the body from Van. Body kick for Pantoja.

Pantoja with a combination. Fast takedown attempt from Pantoja, but Van was swift too on the sprawl so they go back to striking range.

Pantoja with a few missed punches and then Van lands crisply. Pantoja aggressively exchanges and then transitions to a takedown, but Van gets him down instead.

Pantoja back up quickly. Van rips the body repeatedly at close quarters. Right hand for Pantoja.

Pantoja lands a good takedown in the center of the Octagon in the final 30 seconds of the round. Pantoja does a good job of stepping around and getting Van’s back. Not much time left in the round though and Van is able to stay safe defensively.

Round Three

Pantoja doubles up on the jab. Van lands his jab. Low kick for Pantoja. Quick flurry from Van. Front kick from Pantoja. Now knees in the clinch from Pantoja.

Low kick for Pantoja. Now a jab. Body punch for Van. Push kick from Pantoja. Van lands as Pantoja comes forward. More punches from Van. Low kick for Pantoja.

Pantoja’s jab working nicely. Body kick for Pantoja and a right hand behind it. Right hand for Pantoja and two punches in return from Van.

Pantoja trying to work for takedowns now, but Van fends them off to force him back to striking.

Jabs land for Van. Now a right hand. A few more punches get through and Pantoja responds with a punch and then a body kick.

Body punch for Van then lands upstairs too. Elbow for Van. Pantoja marches forward with big punches to the body and head, then works for his latest takedown attempt that Van defends well.

Van works around to the back, but soon gives up on that. Straight punches for Pantoja. Right hook for Van. Low kick from Pantoja.

Pantoja with a left hook then immediately into a takedown that lands this time. Van has his back up against the cage though. Pantoja looking to get him away from there, but it’s easier said than done.

Van gets up and Pantoja misses on a spinning backfist attempt. Good right hand from Van. Now a combination for the champ, but while that stung Pantoja still motions him forward. Van landing again. Now Pantoja connects with a right hand at the end of the round.

Round Four

Van pumps his jab. Calf kick from Pantoja and then a head kick, but Van took that well.

Pantoja in on a takedown attempt, but Van denies it. Jab for Pantoja. Right hand for Van.

Van getting a few punches through the guard. Now a nice left hook from Pantoja. They exchange punches as Pantoja wades forward, and then he’s able to land a takedown. Van has his back to the cage again though.

Pantoja able to pull Van’s hips away from the cage and gets him flat on his back.

Van working for butterfly hooks as Pantoja enjoys some control time on top. Elbow for Pantoja, but he’s wary to do much more as Van has a fast get-up game if given any space or time.

Van getting his back to the cage again, but again Pantoja pulls him away from it.

Pantoja in side control. He moves back to half-guard. A minute to go in the round. Van rolls for a heel hook, but Pantoja fends that off quickly.

Approaching the final 10 seconds of the round and Pantoja almost passes to mount, but isn’t able to.

Round Five

Pantoja backing off but then unleashes a couple of solid kicks. He goes to the leg again. Calf kick and a body kick from now now.

Solid right hand from Van as Pantoja was moving towards him. Clean punches from Van.

Front kick to the body from Pantoja. Now a low kick. Body kick. Punch from Van. Pantoja misses a kick and Van blasts him with a hook.

Van applying pressure now. Pantoja looks to catch him off-guard with a punch, but Van lands a nice combination. Pantoja kicks.

Three-piece combo for Van. He scores again. Fast hands from Van. Body kick for Pantoja. Jab and a right hand for Van.

Big straight left from Van drops Pantoja! Van follows him down and is thinking about a submission, but Pantoja gets back up.

Van hits him clean again. Van’s crisp hands have Pantoja hurt. He’s trying to get the fight to the mat, but Van gets him to the mat. Van looking to pass guard, but Pantoja manages to get back to his feet.

Pantoja trying to press forward aggressively, but Van is ready for it and greets him with punches that seem as fresh and fast as the first round. Pantoja eats those strikes to land his own, but Van’s getting the better of this late fight action and we’re headed to the scorecards!

Decision

A very good title fight then, fought at an incredible pace for the full 25 minutes. Both fighters had their moments during this back-and-forth battle, with Pantoja getting the better of the mat work and landing some aggressive flurries, but Van’s striking was quicker and cleaner, while his takedown defense was impressive too. And so it’s Van who is able to successfully defend the title with a unanimous decision victory (49-46, 49-47, 50-45).