UFC 331 turned out to be one of the best cards of the year as the entire event was chock full of incredible fights, violent knockouts, and slick submissions, making it a joy for fight fans to watch.
Now, it’s time to look ahead to what’s next for the big winners and losers from Saturday's card in Los Angeles.
Joshua Van
In the main event of UFC 331, UFC flyweight champion Joshua Van defended his title when he defeated rival Alexandre Pantoja via unanimous decision in their highly anticipated rematch.
For Van’s next fight, he has to take on Manel Kape, the knockout artist who has won four straight fights by stoppage. Kape has more than earned a chance to fight for the belt.
Alexandre Pantoja
As for Pantoja, the former champion is in a tricky spot because he’s lost twice to Van. But he holds a previous win over Kape, so if Kape ends up beating Van, then Pantoja will be right there back in the title mix.
For his next fight, let’s match up Pantoja against Tatsuro Taira in a fight that will pit the last two men who fought Van against one another. This has Fight of the Night written all over it.
Arman Tsarukyan
In the co-main event, Arman Tsarukyan brutally knocked out Mauricio Ruffy in the first round to cement his status as the No. 1 contender in the UFC lightweight division.
With six straight wins, Tsarukyan has to be next in line to fight UFC lightweight champion Justin Gaethje. This is the only fight that makes sense, and the UFC needs to get it signed for early 2027 when Gaethje returns to the Octagon.
Mauricio Ruffy
This was a tough loss for the Brazilian as he entered the bout on a two-fight win streak with two highlight-reel knockouts. A victory over Tsarukyan may have catapulted him to a title shot himself.
Still, Ruffy is a joy to watch, and for his next fight, I’d love to see him fight Jalin Turner in a fight pitting two of the most violent and dangerous knockout artists at 155 pounds against one another.
Patricio Pitbull
Former Bellator MMA featherweight champion Patricio Pitbull turned back the clock and had an awesome showing at UFC 331 as he knocked out Dooho Choi in the first round to collect his first stoppage win in the UFC.
With Pitbull finally having some momentum in his UFC career, let’s match him up against Steve Garcia, another former Bellator MMA fighter who is also an exciting knockout artist.
Sean Sharaf
According to the betting odds, Sean Sharaf winning as a +1000 betting underdog over Gable Steveson was the biggest upset in UFC history, as the heavyweight slugger knocked out the former Olympic gold medallist wrestler in just 12 seconds.
Sharaf might just be lightning in a bottle, but the UFC needs to capitalize on this win. For his next bout, let’s match him up with Robelis Despaigne, who defeated Tai Tuivasa on the UFC 331 undercard.
Gable Steveson
Speaking of Steveson, seeing him lose in the fashion that he did to Sharaf as a -2500 favourite was downright shocking. But it just goes to show you, once again, that anything can happen in MMA.
The UFC needs to be very careful about how they match up Steveson, as they can’t risk pitting him against anyone with one-punch knockout power. That’s why, for his next fight, he should fight Max Gimenis, a grappler who is 0-1 with a knockout loss in his lone UFC bout.
Alonzo Menifield
Veteran light heavyweight Alonzo Menifield pulled off his fifth UFC upset when he defeated previously unbeaten prospect Iwo Baraniewski via split decision in a fight where Menifield broke his thumb in the first round.
Menifield is the ultimate gatekeeper at 205 pounds, and for his next fight, he can take on another rising prospect in Abdul Rakhman Yakhyaev, should he defeat Nikita Krylov at UFC 333.
Charles Jourdain
The lone Canadian on the card, Charles Jourdain, suffered a third-round TKO loss to Marlon Vera, and he also injured his eye in the process, which should keep him out of action for a bit.
When he does return to the Octagon in 2027, a matchup against Rob Font would be fun as it would pit two veteran bantamweights against one another in a fight that likely wouldn’t go the full three rounds.
Casey O’Neill
Finally, we can’t forget about women’s flyweight standout Casey O’Neill, who scored what is believed to be the first helicopter armbar submission in UFC history when she tapped out Eduarda Moura in stunning fashion early on the preliminary card.
Following the big win, O’Neill called out Maycee Barber, so the UFC should try their best to get this fight booked for either later this year or early 2027.
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