MMA
Joshua Van suffered major injury month before UFC 331
Published
14 hours agoon
Joshua Van had to reach down deep to beat Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 331, and the road to the fight was just as precarious.
Saturday's main event in Los Angeles saw the flyweight champion emerge victorious after an exciting five-round battle with Pantoja, further cementing Van as one of the UFC's future stars. Van previously won the title when their first fight ended with Pantoja suffering a freak injury in the opening moments of the contest, and has now successfully defended it twice with wins over Pantoja and Tatsuro Taira.
At the evening's post-fight press conference, Van revealed he suffered a major injury a little over a month before the Pantoja rematch.
“Coming into this fight, after the press conference in Philly, I tore my AC join in my right shoulder and I couldn't even spar,†Van said. “So the last two weeks was my first time sparring and this camp we do nothing but cardio, just running and stuff like that. I've got to go back there and get MRIs and get checked up, so hopefully nothing major.â€
Van's timetable for his next title defense remains unclear, as does his opponent, though the clear front-runner is top contender Manel Kape. Asked if he expects to fight Kape, Van said he's open to anything the matchmakers put in front of him.
The 24-year-old champion received a mental boost earlier Saturday when he watched Michael Aswell win a decision over Joo Sang Yoo. Van and Aswell trained together for UFC 331 and both battled injuries en route to a successful night.
“Man, Aswell being in the same camp is a motivation for me,†Van said. “Like I said, I just came back from my injury to spar my first time, and he hurt his f*cking rib and we're like, f*ck that, we ain't pulling out. So both of us are injured coming into this fight and you know, g*ddammit, we push through it.â€
Though Van was still gathering his emotions after his epic fight with Pantoja, there was one word that came to mind when he was asked for his initial thoughts on the win.
“I feel pain,†Van said. “Nah man, like I said, Pantoja is a great fighter. He's one of the greatest of all-time in my eyes. Fighting him five rounds like that, I'm grateful for that.â€
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MMA
Gable Steveson should cut ties with Jon Jones, says Colby Covington: "He's just a horrible person"
Published
10 hours agoon
September 21, 2026
Zuffa LLCColby Covington believes Gable Steveson has done himself no favors aligning with Jon Jones.
Jones took Steveson under his wing before the Olympic gold medalist was offered a UFC contract. Steveson even competed under Jones' Dirty Boxing Championship promotion. Jones cornered Steveson for his successful UFC debut against Elisha Ellison back in July. “Bones†was back in Steveson's corner for UFC 331 this past Saturday, but things did not go the way the team envisioned.
Steveson was knocked out cold by Sean Sharaf in 12 seconds and made his exit from the Octagon before Bruce Buffer could announce the official result. Speaking to the folks at Submission Radio, Covington insisted that Steveson should drop Jones and start over with a new camp (via MMAJunkie).
“Jon Jones is bad energy,†Covington said. “That guy is a demon, man. We've seen the long laundry list of bad things he's done to women, to people, to cops, to drug testers. He's just a horrible person, bro. When you align yourself with, and you're surrounded by that bad energy all the time, it's going to rub off on you.
“You've got to surround yourself in this life with good people that are like-minded, that work hard, that have faith in God, and aren't just freaking piece of sh*t people like Jon Jones. So he should definitely cut Jon Jones, and get to a new camp, and get focused, and start believing, and start using his wrestling, what got you to the dance.â€
Covington hasn't shy on his views of Jones as a person throughout the years. The two were once roommates at Iowa Central Community College, but they had a falling out. Ever since, Covington has publicly ripped Jones and has brought up past legal issues.
Do you think Gable Steveson should be seeking guidance outside of Jon Jones, or should he stick with his current team? Sound off in the comments below.
This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM
MMA
Daniel Cormier thinks Manel Kape is serious threat to Joshua Van's UFC title run: "Manel has the power to knock him out"
Published
10 hours agoon
September 21, 2026
Zuffa LLCCould Joshua Van be in for his most dangerous challenger yet in the form of Manel Kape?
Van left no doubt that he is the true 125-pound king when he defeated Alexandre Pantoja in their UFC 331 rematch this past Saturday. Van won the championship in his first encounter with Pantoja due to an injury. He went on to have a successful title defense against Tatsuro Taira, but many felt the rematch with Pantoja was his first real test at an elite level.
Ultimately, Van shined bright and solidified his place at the top of the mountain. A dominant final round of a competitive five-round affair sealed the deal, and Van was awarded the unanimous decision victory.
A new test will emerge for Van, and the general consensus is that Kape will be become the new No. 1 contender for the flyweight gold. In a post-UFC 331 reaction video, Daniel Cormier said he thinks Kape is a credible threat to Van's title reign (h/t MMAJunkie).
“My guess is he's going to fight Manel Kape,†Cormier said. “He has been through now all the grapplers in the division, so he will not have to deal with that threat. The one area that Manel possesses that most don't is Manel has the power to knock him out. That's the difference. Manel can knock him out if he gets the opportunity.
“But in terms of a stylistic challenge, going through Taira, going through Pantoja back-to-back, he's already dealt with what most people thought would have been the biggest issue for Joshua Van, and that's the wrestling, and he passed those fights with flying colors, finishing Taira, and then tonight beating Alexandre Pantoja by unanimous decision.â€
UFC CEO Dana White had significant praise for Van following Saturday's event. He called the 125-pound titleholder the “greatest thing†to happen to the flyweight division in the modern era. Kape plans to spoil the party if he does indeed get dibs next.
Do you think Manel Kape would be Joshua Van's most dangerous challenger thus far? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM
MMA
Video: All 7 UFC 331 finishes from a wild night in Los Angeles
Published
10 hours agoon
September 21, 2026
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