Original subtitles

In 2025,

the reign of long-standing flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja came to a

shocking end.

Oh, my goodness!

Oh, my God! Oh, he broke his arm.

Wow. And now Joshua Vann is the second youngest UFC champion in history.

Now the world will never forget Joshua Vann. Joshua Vann's victory marked a

changing of the guard, a status cemented with a dominant title defense.

With an opportunity to remove any doubt. Now people can see that I'm the real

champion in this division.

The champion welcomes the return of the former flyweight king at UFC 331.

As Pantoja looks to settle unfinished business and reclaim the throne.

Now he's the champion. Now he has everything to lose.

And I feel more ready. I feel more confidence.

I'm going to do everything that's possible to win.

I'm the champion right here. To be honest, I don't go.

What Pantoja bring to the table that night, it would take an army to take

that balance off me.

In the co-main event, two lightweight title hopefuls clash in a high-stakes

bout.

Arman Saroukian has long been on the cusp of a title shot.

Arman makes a statement!

The Armenian wrestling powerhouse looks to become undeniable against a breakout

contender.

Striking sensation Maurizio Hufi has lit up the division with a haul of highlight

finishes.

Mauricio Rufi yet again!

The Brazilian now aims to build on his momentum and enter the title picture

against his toughest challenge to date.

Mauricio Rufi, get ready for the tap.

Sarukin back in contention.

I will prove that I am the best fighter in the UFC 331 knocking out my opponent.

The head of the Octagon's return to the Crypto.com arena in Los Angeles.

We go inside the preparations of the main attractions.

This is UFC 331.

Countdown.

By the end of 2025,

Alessandro Pantoja had established himself as one of the greatest

flyweights of all time.

Pantoja! Oh!

Pantoja is such a savage.

When you watch this man compete, you are seeing one of the finest expressions of

mixed martial arts that's available on planet Earth. 20 years professional

fighter. Pantoja is a hunter.

I'm face off on the best fights of the world. He has beaten everybody.

Making four defenses.

In the final numbered event of the year, Pantoja welcomed a challenge from a

breakout sensation.

I have a chance to face off one of the best in this new generation.

oh my goodness that'll do it joshua van reaches the table it's a relentless

competitive drive he's got knockout power and he's a man on a mission

pantoja is always the guy that i want to fight when i was making a debut in the

ufc he was already a champion and i was always looking at him like he was a guy

and he was the guy

monster when it comes to the striking. Until I came in the picture.

He wants to be a world champion, and he has all that potential.

But Pantoja is one of the best flyweights of all time.

The new era of fighting is here, and they're about to witness the greatness

of Joshua Vann.

All these great athletes that are chasing this belt have to go through a

dude that doesn't seem to ever want to let go of the championship.

My first fight to Joshua Vann, I feel so ready.

I feel so confident because everything's perfect.

You know, my camp's good.

No injuries.

I feel calm. I feel comfortable.

That's my place. That's my zone.

Ready. Let's do it. Fifth defense for the Brazilian Pantoja.

The fight started.

Everything happened so fast.

I connected my kick.

He pushed me away. I made a mistake to fall.

I tried to put my hands in the mat. Then my arm go out.

I have an arm dislocation.

I'm not afraid.

I don't scream.

I don't show him I have something.

I just try to fix myself and back to the fight. Oh, he broke his arm. I want to

go back and destroy him. But the fight's over.

Oh, my goodness!

That's it, baby. An arm injury to Pantoja. And Joshua Vann is the champ.

That's so crazy.

That's a freak accident. You know, everybody know that.

He's going to reduce it.

He's dead.

He's dead. Huh?

The fight's over. The fight's over.

26 seconds in. The Pantoja era comes to an end. To lose the bell like that,

that's crazy.

That's why UFC understand I need to fight for the belt again.

I would

imagine that Joshua Vann

will defend this title very, very quickly and then be back with Vantoja to

fight each other again.

After an injury like that, one thing I learned, I don't have time to lose.

Two days after the fight, I'm in the physiotherapy.

I start training with just one arm.

And this helped me a lot to back in shape very fast.

In March, April, I'm ready to back full training.

My physiotherapy guy don't believe what I can do after one month, two months.

I'm very proud about myself.

I'm very proud about all my team, everybody helping me to get this feeling

again. I lose my belt, but mentally, I feel a better man, and I feel more

stronger. I'm a conqueror, and now you have the chance to conquer one more

time.

After that Pantoja fight, you know, I always want that rematch as soon as

possible, but I'm not going to wait forever. I got my dreams and goals that

I want to accomplish, so...

Tetsuro came in.

Tetsuro Taira consistently gets better every time. He looks like a future world

champion. Can Joshua Vann stop this man from getting a hold of him? And what can

he do if Tetsuro Taira gets him on the ground?

And you guys know what happened next.

When Joshua Vann fights Tetsuro Taira, I have the best seat to watch that fight

to see who's going to be my opponent.

Look at that.

Tetsuro Taira. You guys are former champions.

I told you he was there. I saw him. I was like, watch what I'm about to do to

this boy.

That stone pole killer staring him down.

He probably hates it. He's like, what? This is my belt.

How can he not hate it? But that's how it goes.

This fight is a very high-level fight.

That's an explosive shot.

Oh, wow. Nice. Gets him down again.

Tyra is nasty on the ground.

Now they're back on their feet.

Oh!

Everybody is standing inside Prudential Center.

Shower the athletes with a lot of noise.

The boxing difference is so vast.

Oh my goodness, what a fight. What a fight. Fight's incredible.

Joshua Van did everything I know he can do. Tyra's in trouble. It's the body.

Tyra covers up. And that'll do it. That's it. And still, Joshua Van retains

the world title.

He make a statement. He's the champion of the world.

Champion, don't be now!

You have unfinished business with Alexandre Pantoja. We can run it back if

you want.

After this fight, I leave the arena.

I'm back to my home because I know I have the title to win.

Pantoja got to be next, right?

I know who's my opponent, and I know everything I can do to conquer this belt

again. This man loves being champion. There's no denying how clear his

intentions are. He wants to be a world champion again.

What a setup for a rematch. How good is that for your main event?

With his recent success, Myanmar-born UFC flyweight champion Joshua Vann

understands the ability he has to inspire others.

And uses his newfound influence to aid the people of his home nation.

I don't forget where I come from.

In Myanmar, the civil war has been going on for more than a decade.

Our people need secret refugees, so India is one of the places that our

people go to.

Thank you so much for, you know, a warm welcome.

You know, as I mentioned, man, you guys are like family, you know, because our

Ram and Chief are one, so we're brothers.

So I go there to see where my people are and to see how they live and to help out

in any kind of way that I can.

I always thought I would be a world champion, but I never thought I would be

this big for my nation.

It just showed me how much my people appreciate me.

And it just makes me work harder and just appreciate.

life a lot more. Hello, guys. How are you guys doing?

Thank you for having me here, man. It was such a pleasure.

Thank you. I love you guys.

Alvan embraces his role as the flyweight champion.

Preparations are underway for the former belt holder.

Injury cut short Alexandre Pantoja's first encounter with Joshua Van.

But the Brazilian stable at American Top Team is confident the rematch will tell

a different story.

It's going to be an amazing fight.

Joshua Van is an amazing fighter. He has good pressure, amazing boxing, good

takedown defense.

And I believe that he is a tough fight for Alexandre.

But I believe Pantoja is a better fighter.

Pantoja has the experience, heart, and the mentality to overcome any situation

on that fight and will be the champion again.

Joshua has a very unique fight style.

And Joshua is the perfect guy for this new generation.

But I'm an old school fighter.

I'm fighting for almost 20 years.

I think that's a huge advantage.

I'm very complete.

And I have so many ways to win these fights.

I'm very focused on what I need to do to win this world title.

The cannonball is ready to eat Joshua Vann alive.

The might of a combat sports powerhouse and American top team will be tested by

one of MMA's newest hotbeds for emerging talent.

Houston's four-ounce fight club is credited for guiding Joshua Vann to an

award-worthy run to a UFC title.

for Breakthrough Fighter of the Year, Joshua Vance.

Thank you to my team, Forearms Fight Club.

Josh is more than anything excited about this fight.

Pantoja has been one of the greatest for his era, but it is time for the new

wave. Pin it to the ground.

That's it.

All right, Chris Space, come back. That's good.

And although Pantoja is great, I think Josh is better than Pantoja everywhere.

Plus, you know, he has that extra evolution to his game.

I think the biggest challenge that Pantoja can bring to this matchup would

be the awkwardness of Pantoja's style.

Yep, small, small increments. You don't have to be big.

He just goes in wild and throws some crazy stuff just to get into the clinch

or to get a takedown.

So we're training for that style, and I think we got that covered.

One, two,

three, four!

Pantoja's one of the finest mixed martial artists that's ever stepped into

the octagon.

Josh Chavan, you're good. You're the champion of the world. You're the best

one. September 19th, when the octagon's locked, we're going to see if you're the

true champion of the world.

Pantoja's a hunter.

He is so confident.

and dominant and he truly feels that he is the best mixed martial arts fighter

on planet earth you can say whatever you want but you know what i bring to the

table incredible endurance fantastic boxing skill oh they're great from pan

this is unfinished business he's so well rounded and he just keeps improving

and at usc 331 i'm knocking out pentogen

What a phenomenal fight, right? Write the check for him right now. Fight of

the night.

Top UFC lightweight contender Arman Sarukyan enters UFC 331 with his focus

firmly fixed on the ultimate goal.

Generational wealth and sharp business acumen have afforded him countless

opportunities.

But the prize he covets most is one that money can't buy.

It must be earned.

When you have a good lifestyle, you want to make more money.

Because I'm buying so much scarves, watches, houses, traveling.

I live one life, so enjoy your life.

But money cannot buy what you see title.

A lot of billionaires in the world, but they don't have a UFC belt.

I would trade everything for the UFC title.

Since his arrival in the UFC in 2019, Say hello to the next generation of

superstar, Armand Sorokian.

Sorokian combined a hardened competitive mentality.

Oh, look at that!

with elite athletic ability to climb the lightweight range. On the feet, very

fast, very technical. The wrestling is ridiculous.

I'm telling you, the sky is the limit for this guy.

Armand Saroukian says, I'm not just ready to jump in the shark tank, I'm

ready to be the apex predator.

And a first round finish.

I'm super confident and I know I can beat everybody.

it's not just him hyping himself up to the world when you see the performances

when you see what he's capable of you believe this man and what we've seen

from him is real world championship caliber skills i

love this sport i'm doing not for money i'm doing this

because i love to do it and because i want to be a ufc champion Oh, some just

cut Charles open. Oh, that's a big one. A five-fight win streak in one of the

UFC's toughest divisions has the title shot within reach.

Wow. He made that look easy.

Shortness performance from the Armenian.

Amisar Rukid is the real deal. One final hurdle remains in the form of a surging

contender.

Brazil's impact in the formative years of MMA is well established.

Its host of icons inspired countless fighters across the nation, including

striking sensation Mauricio Rufi.

Mauricio Shogun Rua.

And they were the guys that inspired me. I wanted to fight like them.

Inspiration led to innovation, committing his career to the craft of

combat.

Hufi set out to create a style unlike any other and showcase it on the sport's

grandest stage.

I trained kickboxing, Muay Thai, I trained capoeira.

Unbelievable striking.

By the feet, he is just so lethal. The dynamicism from Mauricio Rufi.

Flawless technique.

This guy's got it.

Oh!

And he didn't miss with the right hand. There's another one.

Mauricio is a problem in this lightweight division.

Looks like a world champion already.

Oh!

Chandler nearly broke his speed. He goes down!

We got a new

contender. It's Mauricio Rufi.

Top lightweight contender Armand Sarukia is preparing for his UFC 331 clash with

Mauricio Rufi at Florida's renowned American Top Team.

A fixture at the gym for much of his UFC career.

Sorokin's elite talent and relentless mentality have made him a natural fit

among the championship caliber team.

When Armand first came to American Top Team, we could always see that he was

going to be a contender.

He was always so apart from everybody else as far as mentality.

He could have been doing anything in life. He chose the hardest sport on

earth to dedicate himself to.

He only cares about being a UFC champion.

I've seen a better Arma this time around.

He has new weapons on the striking.

But I think what's going to set him apart is his wrestling background.

Luffy is a very dangerous opponent for Arma.

Dynamic striking.

He can punch, he can kick, he can knee. He's a big 55er.

But I believe steady pressure, Armand's pressure, Armand's wrestling,

to set up the best way to finish this fight, that's

what's going to make Armand victorious.

Luffy, he has one good weapon, it's striking.

But I can strike, I can wrestle, and I'm not scared of his striking.

I'm looking for a finish.

Body weight, use your body weight.

I have to show everybody that nobody on my level.

Knowing

the

challenge he faces in his next opponent, Mauricio Hufi has chosen to expand and

refine his skill set with one of the best teams in MMA.

It's just an athlete. He just picks up things straight away.

It just gets repetition.

When he's not even thinking, when he's tired, these things are automatically

happening. We want to get that to a point where it feels like he's reacting

with muscle memory.

We've got so many athletes here that have my sort of style, take down

defence.

That's how we all are here.

Never given up on any little position.

A lot of wrestlers will come in and they're not used to the scrambling

ability from the guys here and they just get tired by that.

It's going to be very important with guys like Armand.

Probably one of the best wrestlers in the UFC.

But if you're going for shots and you know that's your only chance to grab a

hold of him and that's not happening and all of a sudden you've got Rufy in your

face, that's a big, big, big problem to have.

I'm not thinking what he's gonna

do, what weapon he has. He has chance only for lucky punch, but it's not gonna

happen.

You gotta keep an eye on this guy. This guy's a big problem at 155 pounds.

He's so powerful, so aggressive, and he has the wrestling to challenge just

about anyone.

Sarukin is back in contention.

This guy is the

one. There's something really unique about his talent and his skill.

Punch knockout power, incredible accuracy, and flawless technique.

Lightweight combatants with dreams of UFC gold clash

in the co-main event before unfinished business in the flyweight division is

decided once and for all to see who is the true king.

At 125 pounds.

The otherworldly Bantosha. One of the best sabers, right there.

Like a man, he not defeat me.

Bantosha's left arm is hurt, and Joshua Bann is the champ.

What's done is done, and I'm gonna whoop his ass September 19th. You got him.

Champion, don't leave now.

Set the stage for a rematch between Bann and the former king, Bantosha.

He need to wash his mouth.

What you gonna do about it?

You ain't do nothing.

Sit your ass down.

A flyweight title fight that they will be talking about for years to come.

The score will be settled when the Octagon returns to Los Angeles.

For UFC 331.