Joshua Van is talking like a fighter who wants the title fight to end before the scorecards matter. He plans to finish Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 331, then turn around and defend again quickly after the event.
That matters now because the flyweight title fight is already on the calendar, and Van is not framing it as a one-night moment. He is treating UFC 331 as the start of a run, not a peak, which makes his first defense the next thing fans will be watching for if he gets past Pantoja.
The wider card gives that urgency more weight. Arman Tsarukyan is also set for UFC 331, and his recent comments show how fighters on the same stage are using every scheduled bout to sharpen something specific. Tsarukyan says competing in RAF has helped his grappling and freestyle wrestling, and he described the changes in plain terms: clinches, leg attacks and double-leg shots now feel better than before.
He also said the work is not stopping there. Tsarukyan said it is time to focus on boxing, suggesting that after his next fight Dana White could let him box. That matters because his current path runs through more than one discipline: he is scheduled to face Mauricio Ruffy in a lightweight MMA fight on September 19 at UFC 331, then wrestle Dillon Danis for the inaugural RAF middleweight crossover title at RAF 14 on October 3.
Tsarukyan’s broader goal is still the one that has followed him for years. He lost to Islam Makhachev by unanimous decision in 2019, was supposed to get a rematch in January of last year before an injury forced him out on fight week, and still wants another shot even though Makhachev now competes at welterweight. He said a fight with Makhachev would be great and added that maybe it could happen in boxing if the rematch never does in MMA.
That is the friction inside this UFC 331 build: Van wants a fast-moving title reign, while Tsarukyan is using every outlet he can find to raise his level and keep a future championship lane open. For Van, the next step is simple. Beat Pantoja, and the division starts moving on his schedule. Miss, and the immediate title picture changes before his plan for a quick return ever gets a chance.
