Fights that should be next for Van, Tsarukyan and more UFC 331 stars

• Brett Okamoto

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  Brett Okamoto

  ESPN Staff Writer

  Brett Okamoto has reported on mixed martial arts and boxing at ESPN since 2010. He has covered all of the biggest events in combat sports during that time, including in-depth interviews and features with names such as Dana White, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Conor McGregor, Nate Diaz, Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao and Georges St-Pierre. He was also a producer on the 30 for 30 film: "Chuck and Tito," which looked back at the careers and rivalry of Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz. He lives in Las Vegas, and is an avid, below-average golfer in his spare time.
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• Jeff Wagenheim

Sep 17, 2026, 12:30 PM ET

UFC 331 in Los Angeles solidified two things: Joshua Van's championship is legit and Arman Tsarukyan has to fight for the lightweight belt next.

In a rematch of their 2025 fight that never really got started because of an early injury, Van and Alexandre Pantoja went the distance Saturday, battling it out on the feet and canvas for five rounds until Van heard his name called at the conclusion of the fight.

It didn't take Tsarukyan the full fight to stake his claim in the co-main event. In fact, it didn't even take him a full five minutes. The No. 1 lightweight contender used a perfectly placed elbow to send Mauricio Ruffy to the canvas at 4 minutes, 56 seconds in the first round. With those wins, the next opponents for both fighters are easy to pick.

Let's take a look at the most-likely scenarios and a wild card for Van, Tsarukyan and more UFC 331 main-card competitors.

Joshua Van, men's flyweight champion

Who should be next: Manel Kape
Flyweights are on a serious run right now -- and a lot of that credit should go to Van. ESPN's breakout fighter of the year in 2025 (who also had the fight of the year against Brandon Royval) is building a case for fighter and fight of the year again in 2026. And the momentum won't slow down at all when he moves on to Kape. Kape is probably the hardest hitter in the division and one of the few flyweights who will be willing to stand with Van -- and beat him at his own game. Kape isn't shy on the mic, either. There isn't really any speculation as to who is next. It's Kape, and that will be a great fight.

Wild card: Brandon Royval
If something were to happen to Kape, Royval would be the obvious pick for next in line. Yes, Van is only three opponents removed from his first bout against Royval, but beyond Kape, Royval is the only opponent who makes sense. Their first fight was incredible, and Royval got such a big, impressive win his last time out against a young up-and-comer in Lone'er Kavanagh. No one would deserve the opportunity more than Royval if Kape can't go.

Alexandre Pantoja, men's flyweight

Who should be next: Asu Almabayev
Coming off this loss, something tells me Pantoja isn't done, and I doubt I'm alone in that feeling. Pantoja fought with a lot of eagerness Saturday. Even given his long, successful career, you could tell how much he wanted to win. I'd wager that Pantoja will force a third fight with Van someday. Until then, he's left with the unenvied position of defending his spot in the rankings with little chance of getting another title shot in the immediate future. Almabayev is 7-1 in the UFC but has little fanfare to show for it. Most established fighters avoid matchups against those types of fighters. Pantoja likely won't.

Wild card: Lone'er Kavanagh
Kavanagh is coming off a loss to Royval, but the ceiling remains high for the 27-year-old. The last time Kavanagh got an opportunity against a former champion, he looked incredible against Brandon Moreno in a short-notice appearance in February. Many in the sport would love to see the UFC give him an opportunity against Pantoja.

Arman Tsarukyan, lightweight

Who should be next: Justin Gaethje
This is the easiest look forward ever. No-brainer. Tsarukyan could have fought for a lightweight title at any point in the past year. Many felt the UFC snubbed him by booking interim and official title fights that involved Gaethje and Paddy PImblett instead of Tsarukyan. Saturday's win was really just about proving his spot once again, as opposed to gaining ground that wasn't already his. Gaethje, the champion, still hasn't revealed his future plans, but he was cageside in Los Angeles and still must be feeling confident from his world-class performance against Ilia Topuria in June. If Gaethje decides not to retire, Tsarukyan left no doubt as to who he should fight next.

Wild card: Topuria
If Gaethje retires, I believe it would be Tsarukyan vs. Topuria for the vacant belt. Paddy Pimblett is right there as well, of course, and coming off a win (unlike Topuria). The UFC could go in either direction under this scenario, but I'd give Topuria the slight edge.

Mauricio Ruffy, lightweight

Who should be next: Loser of Renato Moicano vs. Tom Nolan on Oct. 31
The loser of a fight a month from now might seem like a strange opponent to propose, but Ruffy will need to regroup slightly from a results standpoint. As far as performance, I doubt anyone thinks less of Ruffy based on the loss he suffered Saturday. He looked in terrific shape, until Tsarukyan caught him with a perfect shot. Ruffy is still dangerous and figures to be a player near the top of this division, but he's in rebuilding mode now. Moicano vs. Nolan is a great fight. Whoever wins will be looking up the rankings. Whoever loses will be in a similar position to Ruffy, and that matchup would make sense.

Wild card: Max Holloway
Holloway isn't going to have interest in this fight, and I don't blame him. But I also don't think it's realistic for Holloway to wait until next summer for a possible Conor McGregor trilogy fight. I see Holloway taking a fight before then, but against who? There's not an obvious answer, but Ruffy is still a guy the UFC will want to promote. And as much as Holloway might rightly feel this isn't a fight he needs to take, fans would love it.

Patricio Pitbull, featherweight

Who should be next: Steve Garcia
No longtime MMA fan could help but feel happy to see Pitbull, 39, get his first finish in the UFC. Even if it had to come at the cost of another fan favorite (Doo Ho Choi). Pitbull probably isn't going to rise into featherweight title contention at this point in his career, but he's still clearly capable of giving fans memories. I like the Garcia matchup for a few reasons. First, it's a very relevant fight for Pitbull. He might not be viewed as a title challenger, but I also see no reason why the UFC shouldn't book him a fight that gives him a shot at a top-15 ranking. Garcia has shown promise but is coming off a setback against Diego Lopes in June. The Pitbull matchup would give him a chance at recapturing momentum against a well-known name. It's also just a very fun fight, stylistically.

Wild card: Tommy McMillen
The entire sport is sky-high on McMillen. He has that "it" factor MMA is always looking for. Neither of these two featherweights is currently ranked, and not a single person cares. This fight would overshadow just about any matchup it could be paired with on a card. The UFC loves to book these kinds of fights in which a young guy gets a chance to prove himself against the veteran name. It would be a banger, as they say.

Sean Sharaf, heavyweight

Who should be next: Derrick Lewis
Sharaf might have become a lot of fans' favorite fighter overnight. Jon Jones' protege, Gable Steveson, was already something of a villain in just his second UFC fight. Sharaf gave Steveson's critics what they wanted in the form of a 12-second knockout, and he did it as a massive underdog. I can't think of too many performances in recent memory in which a fighter has gained as much clout and notoriety with a single punch as Sharaf did on Saturday. The UFC should take advantage. Lewis is on a two-fight skid; Sharaf is 1-2 in three fights in the UFC. Neither is in a real position to make a splash in the rankings. Lewis is a fan favorite, of course. Sharaf has all of this newfound momentum. Let's make a fun fight.

Wild card: Robelis Despaigne
Despaigne picked up a win over Tai Tuivasa in the UFC 331 prelims. Sharaf vs. Despaigne would be a fun matchup on paper, but for name value, Lewis is more exciting.