LOS ANGELES — There was nary fluke this clip astir successful Saturday night’s featherweight rubric bout betwixt Joshua Van and Alexandre Pantoja.
Van retained the rubric with a unanimous-decision triumph implicit Pantoja successful the main lawsuit of UFC 331 astatine Crypto.com Arena.
It was a back-and-forth matter that saw Van get an precocious manus successful galore exchanges portion Pantoja was capable to get the combat to the ground, but not bash overmuch with the takedowns.
Van had archetypal taken the rubric from Pantoja past December successful Las Vegas erstwhile Pantoja suffered a enarthrosis wounded trying to get disconnected the mat conscionable seconds into the fight.
They person exchanged barbs astir the legitimacy of Van’s rubric reign ever since, but Saturday’s effect should settee the statement for now.
“A batch of radical said it was an mishap past time,” Van said. “Doubt maine now.”
The nighttime belonged to Sean Sharaf and Arman Tsarukyan, however.
After dropping his archetypal 2 UFC bouts, Sharaf landed a crushing near hook connected Olympic wrestling golden medalist Gable Steveson to grounds the third-fastest knockout successful heavyweight part past conscionable 12 seconds into the archetypal round.
Sharaf was a 10-to-1 underdog to the two-time nationalist champion from Minnesota.
“I’m not surprised, (expletives),” helium said, channeling the infamous Nate Diaz quote. “I consciousness amazing. I worked truthful hard. I prayed truthful hard. I believed successful myself erstwhile cipher other would. I privation to convey you each for your support.
“I knew I had the power. I conscionable had to judge successful myself.”
Sharaf was the instrumentality favourite coming into the combat aft publicly calling retired Steveson for evading a 2019 intersexual battle allegation for which helium was ne'er formally charged, referring to him arsenic “Loophole.” Steveson was loudly booed arsenic helium walked to the cage and jeered arsenic helium retreated backmost to the locker country aft the loss.
Tsarukyan besides ignited a frenzy successful the arena with a spectacular knockout of Mauricio Ruffy that is apt to gain him a rubric shot.
It wasn’t easy, though. Tsarukyan’s oculus was swollen and appeared to beryllium closing arsenic the archetypal circular progressed, but helium ne'er had to spell backmost to the corner.
In the closing seconds of the archetypal round, helium dropped Ruffy with a near elbow lone to drawback him connected the mode down and onshore a close elbow to decorativeness the combat astatine 4:56.
Tsarukyan has present won six consecutive fights and been the apical contender astatine lightweight for 2 years lone to beryllium passed implicit for title bouts.
“I knew I needed a finish, and I was going to decorativeness him,” Tsarukyan said.
Veteran airy heavyweight Alonzo Menifield battled done a gnarly manus wounded to gain a split-decision triumph implicit Iwo Baraniewski.
The ringside doc entered the cage earlier the commencement of the 3rd circular to instrumentality a look astatine Menifield’s thumb, which appeared to beryllium hanging disconnected his hand. When the combat was allowed to continue, Menifield took vantage by getting to the scorecards and earning the favour of 2 judges for his 4th triumph successful 5 fights.
Also connected the main card, erstwhile two-division Bellator champion Patricio Pitbull improved to 2-2 successful the UFC and recorded his archetypal knockout successful the enactment erstwhile helium finished Choi Doo-hoo with a barrage of punches and elbows astatine 3:28 of the opening round.
On the preliminary card, fashionable heavyweight Tai Tuivasa had his losing streak extended to 8 with a split-decision nonaccomplishment to Robelis Despaigne.
It was a akin result for Michael Aswell Jr., who got the motion connected 2 of 3 scorecards successful his featherweight bout against Yoo Joo-sang.
Former bantamweight rubric challenger Marlon Vera prompted Charles Jourdain to pat owed to strikes with a battering successful the 3rd circular and middleweight Ryan Gandra knocked retired Osman Diaz 2:04 into the archetypal round.
Los Angeles autochthonal Edmen Shahbazyan, who present lives and trains successful Las Vegas, won his 4th combat successful 5 tries with a unanimous determination implicit Brunno Ferreira.
Women’s flyweight seasoned Casey O’Nell needed conscionable 3:22 to taxable Eduarda Moura and featherweight Joanderson Brito knocked retired Giga Chikadze successful 1:57 to footwear disconnected the card.
Contact Adam Hill astatine ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ connected X.
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