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Sunday, September 20, 2026

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Combat sports

UFC 331 Prize Money Payouts Revealed for Van, Pantoja, Steveson, Sharaf and All Fighters

Joshua Van and Alexandre Pantoja each pocketed an extra $100,000 thanks to their efforts in the main event of UFC 331 on Saturday night.

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Joshua Van and Alexandre Pantoja each pocketed an extra $100,000 thanks to their efforts in the main event of UFC 331 on Saturday night.

Van successfully defended his flyweight championship by winning a unanimous decision over Pantoja in what was the Fight of the Night.

Arman Tsarukyan and Casey O'Neill were singled out and received $100,000 Performance of the Night bonuses. O'Neill submitted Eduarda Moura in the first round with an armbar. Tsarukyan knocked out Maurício Ruffy with an elbow just as the first round was drawing to a close.

As part of a tie-in with the streaming series MobLand , the UFC also awarded a "Proper Chaos" bonus. That went to Sean Sharaf after he knocked out Gable Steveson in just 12 seconds.

MMA Junkie's Simon Samano provided the base payouts for each fighter on the card, which were disclosed by the California State Athletic Commission:

The first encounter between Van and Pantoja only lasted 26 seconds. Pantoja suffered an arm injury and was unable to continue, forcing him to drop the flyweight belt to Van.

Their rematch more than delivered. The judges scored it 49–46, 48–47, 50–45, which reflects how Van was the deserved winner but didn't dominate the proceedings.

Given the circumstances behind how he captured the championship, notching a convincing victory over Pantoja had to feel satisfying.

The main event isn't the fight most people will be talking about, though.

Steveson won his first four professional fights and knocked out Elisha Ellison in his UFC debut in July. His track record as a freestyle wrestler preceded him as well. He was an Olympic gold medalist in 2020 and won two national titles.

The 26-year-old was a massive favorite heading into UFC 331 but learned the hard way how quickly your fortunes can turn inside the Octagon. He was settling into the bout when he left himself exposed to a right hand from Sharaf that set up an even bigger left cross. And that was all she wrote.

The stunning upset was a setback for Steveson and whatever bigger plans the UFC had for him.

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