UFC 331 Aftermath: Ranking Updates Following Van vs. Pantoja 2
Event: 2026-09-19 · Published: 2026-09-20 · AI-assisted report (xiaomi/mimo-v2.5)
UFC 331: Van vs. Pantoja 2 resulted in a clear confirmation at the top of the flyweight division and several important adjustments across the card driven by decisive finishes. The event, held on September 19, 2026, saw the champion retain his belt and several contenders make significant moves in the Fight Minds rankings.
Flyweight: Van retains title in Fight of the Night
Joshua Van successfully defended his flyweight title against Alexandre Pantoja via unanimous decision in a five-round Fight of the Night performance. The win solidifies Van's position at the top of the division. Both the champion and the challenger remain unchanged in the rankings at #1 and #2 respectively, reflecting the expected outcome of a title fight between the top two contenders.
Joshua Van defeated Alexandre Pantoja — unanimousDecision, round 5, 5:00. Joshua Van: #1 → #1 (unchanged). Alexandre Pantoja: #2 → #2 (unchanged). Result source
Bantamweight: Vera makes a massive leap
The most dramatic movement of the night came at bantamweight, where Marlon Vera surged 12 positions to #8 following a third-round TKO victory over Charles Jourdain. This significant climb reshuffles the middle of the division. Jourdain, in turn, drops one spot to #10. The ranking comparison period from September 14 to September 21, 2026, captures this major adjustment.
Marlon Vera defeated Charles Jourdain — KO/TKO, round 3, 2:02. Marlon Vera: #20 → #8 (up 12). Charles Jourdain: #9 → #10 (down 1). Result source
Heavyweight: Sharaf and Despaigne climb
The heavyweight division saw two substantial upward moves. Sean Sharaf rocketed 14 positions to #32 after a 12-second knockout of Gable Steveson, who falls four spots to #37. Robelis Despaigne also made a significant jump, climbing 12 places to #23 following a split decision win over Tai Tuivasa. Tuivasa slides two positions to #24. These moves reflect the impact of decisive finishes in the division's rankings.
Sean Sharaf defeated Gable Steveson — KO/TKO, round 1, 0:12. Sean Sharaf: #46 → #32 (up 14). Gable Steveson: #33 → #37 (down 4). Result source
Robelis Despaigne defeated Tai Tuivasa — splitDecision, round 3, 5:00. Robelis Despaigne: #35 → #23 (up 12). Tai Tuivasa: #22 → #24 (down 2). Result source
Middleweight: Shahbazyan and Gandra rise
Two middleweight contenders made notable climbs. Edmen Shahbazyan moved up 11 spots to #14 after a unanimous decision victory over Brunno Ferreira, who drops one place to #23. Ryan Gandra also ascended, climbing five positions to #44 following a first-round knockout of Ozzy Diaz, who falls five spots to #70. These adjustments highlight the division's depth and the impact of recent performances.
Edmen Shahbazyan defeated Brunno Ferreira — unanimousDecision, round 3, 5:00. Edmen Shahbazyan: #25 → #14 (up 11). Brunno Ferreira: #22 → #23 (down 1). Result source
Ryan Gandra defeated Ozzy Diaz — KO/TKO, round 1, 2:04. Ryan Gandra: #49 → #44 (up 5). Ozzy Diaz: #65 → #70 (down 5). Result source
Featherweight and Women's Flyweight: Notable climbs
At featherweight, Joanderson Brito made a significant move, climbing 10 positions to #15 after a first-round knockout of Giga Chikadze. In women's flyweight, Casey O'Neill earned a Performance of the Night bonus and moved up three spots to #9 following a first-round submission victory over Eduarda Moura, who drops one place to #15. These moves reflect the ongoing adjustments in these divisions.
Joanderson Brito defeated Giga Chikadze — KO/TKO, round 1, 1:57. Joanderson Brito: #25 → #15 (up 10). Giga Chikadze: #35 → #35 (unchanged). Result source
Casey O'Neill defeated Eduarda Moura — submission, round 1, 3:22. Casey O'Neill: #12 → #9 (up 3). Eduarda Moura: #14 → #15 (down 1). Result source
Stability elsewhere
No major movement occurred across lightweight, light heavyweight, or other women's divisions. The lightweight bout between Arman Tsarukyan and Mauricio Ruffy saw Tsarukyan climb two spots to #4, but Ruffy remained unchanged at #9. Light heavyweight saw Alonzo Menifield retain his #8 position after a split decision win. These categories remain largely unchanged following UFC 331, reflecting either limited impact results or stable hierarchies.
Arman Tsarukyan defeated Mauricio Ruffy — KO/TKO, round 1, 4:56. Arman Tsarukyan: #6 → #4 (up 2). Mauricio Ruffy: #9 → #9 (unchanged). Result source
Alonzo Menifield defeated Iwo Baraniewski — splitDecision, round 3, 5:00. Alonzo Menifield: #8 → #8 (unchanged). Iwo Baraniewski: #26 → #26 (unchanged). Result source
Movements from Noche UFC: Silva vs. Delgado (2026-09-14) to 2026-09-21. Reconstructed with the current roster and champion statuses at both dates; not an archived historical roster. Includes score ageing and the rolling window.
Explore the Full Rankings
Rank numbers refer to our ten-year Fight Minds model, not the official UFC rankings. Missed-weight data may be incomplete.