UFC 331 roundtable: Can Joshua Van become one of the faces of the UFC?

Joshua Van headlines UFC 331 on Saturday in a rematch against Alexandre Pantoja, seeking to cement his status as a future pillar of the UFC and silence lingering doubts about his championship legitimacy.

Van, just 24 years old, became the UFC flyweight champion in less than three years after joining the promotion in 2023. His path to gold came with controversy: he defeated Pantoja in their first meeting, but Pantoja suffered a significant arm injury just 30 seconds into the fight, casting a shadow over the victory. Nine months later, Van successfully defended his title against Tatsuro Taira in a dominant performance, demonstrating substantial growth since claiming the belt. Now, a second victory over Pantoja would give Van a cleaner claim to his throne and provide clarity on whether he can build a sustained championship run.

Ahead of the event, MMA Fighting's Alexander K. Lee, Damon Martin, and Jed Meshew debated Van's championship ceiling. Lee and Meshew both predicted Van will become a dominant champion, citing his youth, continued improvement, and the cyclical nature of divisional depth. Martin offered a more measured view, emphasizing that flyweight's exceptional talent pool—including strikers like Manel Kape, rising contenders such as Ramazan Temirov, and surging challengers like Asu Almabayev—makes sustained dominance unlikely.

The panel also discussed Arman Tsarukyan and Mauricio Ruffy's co-main event bout and its implications for a title shot. Lee and Meshew suggested the UFC's apparent preference for running back a Topuria-Gaethje rematch means no guarantee exists for the winner, despite preliminary announcements positioning the fight as a number-one contender matchup. Tsarukyan and Ruffy will need to make their case undeniable through performance and star power alike.